According to the report, Exum was considering two other teams.
DALLAS — Dante Exum is staying in Dallas.
The veteran guard and the Mavericks have agreed to a one-year contract, according to a report from NBA insider Shams Charania. Exum had reportedly drawn interest from at least two other contending teams before choosing to return.
Exum, 29, has spent the past two seasons with the Mavericks, contributing valuable minutes off the bench and bringing a defensive presence to the backcourt. He now rejoins a reloaded Dallas roster that includes No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg and veteran guard D’Angelo Russell, who played last season with the Brooklyn Nets.
Exum was limited during the 2024–25 season due to a right wrist injury, but he made an impact when healthy, averaging 8.7 points over 20 games.
Despite D’Angelo Russell being the favorite to start as Kyrie Irving recovers from an ACL injury, Exum will likely pick up a significant workload as backup point guard to start the season. Spencer Dinwiddie, who came off the bench for the Mavs last season, is heading to Charlotte in free agency, leaving plenty of minutes up for grabs for a small menagerie of guards in Dallas.