Dante Exum's wrist injury is another setback after recent resurgence

After receiving a ton of hype heading into the 2014 NBA Draft, the fifth overall selection that year has suffered yet another career setback.

Dallas Mavericks guard Dante Exum is expected to miss three months after undergoing right wrist surgery as first reported by ESPN's Shams Charania. According to ESPN, Exum suffered the right wrist injury during a training camp workout and sought multiple opinions before eventually electing for surgery.

Injuries have hampered Exum's progress from the beginning of his career. He missed the entire 2015-16 season due to a knee injury.

In Exum's best season, he averaged 8.1 points and 3.1 assists per game. For a former fifth-overall pick, this could be viewed as a disappointment. 

The guard played in the NBA up until the 2021-22 season when he played in Europe. Exum made his return to the NBA last season where he averaged 7.8 points and 2.9 assists in 55 games.

While a far cry from the expectations that existed at the beginning of his career, Exum seemed to be back on track with the Mavericks. This wrist injury will be yet another obstacle that the guard has to deal with in an already difficult NBA career.

At 29 years old, the clock is starting to tick. While there are still some good years ahead for Exum, the toll of his injuries will only continue to increase as he gets older.

The Mavericks are in an interesting place heading into the 2024-25 NBA season. They have some of the top players in Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving and also added Klay Thompson. After finishing fifth in the Western Conference and losing in the NBA Finals, the Mavs will be looking to reach similar heights this season.