Could this be the end? Exum's NBA future uncertain

• Dante Exum averaged a career-high 8.7 points per game last season while also dishing out 2.8 assists
• He re-signed with the Mavericks on a one-year, $3.3 million deal
• Exum played a significant role in the Boomers's bronze medal win at the Tokyo Games

Dante Exum's latest season-ending injury could spell an end to his NBA resurgence.

The Dallas Mavericks announced Exum would miss the entire 2025-26 season to undergo follow up surgery on his right knee after "complications" from a procedure during the offseason

Exum averaged a career-high 8.7 points per game last season and played a significant role in Dallas' run to the 2024 NBA Finals but still missed significant portions of his two seasons with the franchise. The Mavericks signed him after two impressive seasons in the EuroLeague following an injury-riddled first seven seasons in the league after being drafted by the Utah Jazz with pick six in the 2014 draft.

Dallas NBA reporter for the Dallas Hoops Journal, Grant Asfeth, said he doesn't see a future in the league for the 30-year-old after his latest setback.

"I personally don’t expect him to have much of an NBA future," he told basketball.com.au.

"Injuries got him out of the league in the first place and now he’s older with a truly concerning amount of missed games since he made his comeback."

Dallas signed Exum with their 15th and final roster spot just prior to training camp but the Australian Boomers guard never participated in any team activities, making the situation

"There was no real transparency the entire time throughout this season — dating back to media day," Asfeth said.

"The Mavs didn’t disclose an offseason surgery and that’s common for their team. To my knowledge, he never participated in anything and they never offered a real update throughout the past few weeks."

Exum was a heralded junior prospect after going through the Australian Institute of Sport, playing in the Nike Hoops Summit and receiving interest from powerhouse US colleges. But he instead went straight to the NBA as a lottery pick with the Jazz, where the Melbourne product entered the league and arrived in Utah with hype he could help turn the franchise around.

Despite the odd sign of brilliance, showcasing his potential to be an elite NBA player, Exum couldn't stay on the court in Utah.

From suffering an ACL tear while playing for the Boomers which would keep him out of his second NBA season, to a shoulder injury keeping him sideline for more than half of the 2017-18 season, then an ankle sprain in 2019 which was followed by bone bruises and then a partially torn patella tendon just weeks later - his list of serious injuries during his professional career is a long one to say the least.

The Jazz then parted ways with Exum, trading him to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a deal for Jordan Clarkson in December, 2019. He struggled to earn court time witt the Cavaliers and was traded again to the Houston Rockets, where he was waived in the lead up to the start of the 2021-22 season.

The ordeal allowed Exum a fresh start. First with his beloved Boomers, playing a major role in Australia's history-making Olympics campaign in Tokyo in 2021, where winning a bronze medal first put him back on some NBA radars.

Then with EuroLeague powerhouse FC Barcelona, where he started to find his game again as the dynamic combo guard helped Barcelona to a Spanish League title followed by a season with Partizan, again winning another domestic title.

Dallas then pulled him out of the NBA wilderness and Exum showed what most experts thought he could become, having an impact off the bench for a Mavericks side which went all the way to the NBA Finals behind superstars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

They lost 4-1 but the future was bright for Exum and the Mavericks. Unfortunately things have taken a turn for the worse for both parties with Dallas now a floundering franchise after trading Doncic and no longer appearing to be a championship contender and Exum now missing another whole season due to injury.

"(Exum's injury) is definitely sad, things were going really for him early on then even during their season reaching the Finals things shifted negatively," Asfeth said.

"He was about to start next to Luka and Kyrie, then bursitis occurred and it was kind of never the same."

Nothing can go right for the Mavericks, and Exum's injury is the latest hurdle in their path but it's a hurdle which seems all too common for Dallas, according to Asfeth.

"Definitely feels (like nothing can go right). The general vibe from fans has improved since Nico (Harrison) was fired, but this team has been stuck in a loop of saying “when we get healthy” almost for an entire year," he said.

"That became a big theme around this time last year and carried through to the Luka trade and beyond."

While it's a massive blow for Exum, it's one we hope isn't the end of his NBA road.