Australian Dante Exum has been caught up within the blockbuster commerce that may ship 10-time All-Star ahead Anthony Davis from Dallas to the Washington Wizards in an eight-player commerce, ESPN reviews.
Exum was dominated out for the season after “issues” from surgical procedure on his proper knee through the low season.
The Mavericks re-signed Exum to a one-year, $3.3 million deal however he was by no means cleared to follow, making him commerce bait for Dallas as they appear to rebuild with transferring Davis on.
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The Mavericks will obtain Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham and Marvin Bagley III plus two first-round draft picks and three second-round picks, per the report.
The Wizards are additionally buying Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell and Exum.
It is one other important second in Exum’s profession that has been dogged by quite a few critical accidents.
Aussie Dante Exum towards the Suns. Getty
The No.5 decide within the 2014 NBA Draft was compelled to play in Europe for a interval earlier than serving to the Boomers to a historic Olympic bronze medal in Tokyo in 2021, then being provided an opportunity with the Mavericks.
The Australian slot in nicely below coach Jason Kidd and was a part of a Dallas staff which made all of it the best way to the 2024 NBA finals.
Exum then had an injury-riddled 2024-25 season earlier than going below the knife forward of this season.
Davis, sidelined since early January with a hand harm, performed in 20 of the Mavericks’ 50 video games this season. He’s averaging 20.4 factors, 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.7 blocks per recreation.
Davis solely made 9 begins final season after arriving within the much-maligned commerce that despatched fellow All-NBA star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Fan backlash from the deal finally contributed to the firing of normal supervisor Nico Harrison in November.
And those self same followers are actually pointing to the compensation obtained for Davis, lamenting the staff’s roster after freely giving a generational participant in Doncic.
Over his 29 video games (all begins) with Dallas, the staff was 16-13 and Davis averaged 20.2 factors, 10.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.8 blocks.
Anthony Davis of the Dallas Mavericks. Getty
The Mavericks (19-31) sit twelfth within the 15-team Western Convention.
The Wizards (13-36) are in a tie for 14th place within the 15-team Japanese Convention.
Davis is the second adorned veteran to hitch the perpetually rebuilding Wizards, who acquired four-time All-Star level guard Trae Younger from the Atlanta Hawks in January.
Younger, 27, has been out with MCL and quad accidents and has but to make his Washington debut.
Middleton is the second-most notable title within the blockbuster deal. A 3-time All-Star and 2021 NBA champion with the Milwaukee Bucks, the 34-year-old ahead averaged 10.3 factors, 3.9 boards and three.3 assists in 34 video games this season with the Wizards.
Two different veterans within the commerce are scoring in double figures. Bagley, 26, averaged 10.1 factors and 5.7 rebounds in 38 video games (eight begins) for Washington, whereas Russell put up 10.2 factors and 4.0 assists in 26 video games (three begins) for Dallas.
– with Reuters
