Mavericks' Dante Exum Nears Olympic Return After Compound Dislocation of Finger

Dallas Mavericks guard Dante Exum nearing a return to Australia's Olympic rotation after suffering a compound dislocation of his right index finger.

Jun 17, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Dante Exum (0) drives to the basket against Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) in game five of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports | Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

The Dallas Mavericks are currently only represented by Dwight Powell in the Paris Olympics, as he competes with Canada. However, that could change soon, with Dante Exum nearing a return to Australia's rotation after suffering a compound dislocation of his right index finger.

The current timeline for Exum's potential return could involve him returning for Australia's third game. He was sidelined for the victory over Spain, but Josh Giddey led the Boomers with 17 points, 8 assists, and 8 rebounds.

"Really excited about the progression. We were looking at possibly this game coming up and definitely game three. We'd be willing to take that risk and it's moved along probably better than we hoped," head coach Brian Goorjian told ESPN.

The plan is to have Exum go through contact elements of practice on Monday. He tested out how his hand would respond by shooting and dribbling on Sunday, and there is added optimism that he won't be sidelined for much longer. If everything goes according to plan, he can play against Canada.

"We think there's a real hope, we've got another day of practice, go with some more contact. We took a big step today, he shot the ball, bounced the ball, no problem with it. We'll put him in contact tomorrow and we're hoping for him to play against Canada."

Considering Canada is led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, it would undoubtedly help Australia to have another big guard that can apply ball pressure with physicallity like Exum.

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