es: Exum, Nuggets, Wolves, Turner
March 28th 2018 at 3:18pm CST by Luke Adams
Point guard
Dante Exum has played in just 72 games since his rookie year, having had to deal with injuries in each of the last three seasons. He’s healthy now, and playing regular backup minutes for the
Jazz, but he’s on track for restricted free agency this summer, and one general manager tells
Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that it may be worth rolling the dice on Exum despite his injury history.
“I think you have to look at him as a physically gifted guy who is only 22 (he turns 23 in July) and has already gone through the huge NBA learning curve,” the GM said.
“There are guys in this year’s draft who will be 22 but aren’t going to have the kind of knowledge of the league he has, and don’t have the physical gifts.”
According to Deveney, one front office executive estimated that a two-year deal in the $18-20MM range might be enough to pry Exum away from the Jazz. That would be a steep price for a fourth-year player who has yet to deliver on the promise he showed heading into the 2014 draft, but overpaying a restricted free agent is often necessary to avoid having his old team match.
“He’s a gamble,” that same executive told Deveney.
“But $10MM a year is not as big a gamble as it once was. He could show something here.”
