When the Utah Jazz, or any other NBA franchise, land the fifth overall pick in the draft, they’re hoping to select a player that won’t be signing short term contracts in Europe six years later. Unfortunately for the Jazz and point guard Dante Exum, that wasn’t the case in 2014.
Exum just signed a contract with EuroLeague powerhouse FC Barcelona that expires on February 28th. It will mark the first time the 26-year-old has played professional basketball outside of the NBA since the Utah Jazz selected him in the 2014 NBA Draft.
Former Utah Jazz Lottery Pick Doesn’t Go Home
There was widespread speculation that the Australian-born Exum would opt to play in the NBL, Australia’s professional basketball league. The NBL is a highly competitive league, having recently produced NBA players like LaMelo Ball and Josh Giddey. Furthermore, the league currently hosts future NBA prospects like Mojave King, Kai Sotto, Ousmane Dieng and more.
At the risk of reading tea leaves we don’t actually have, it’s possible that Exum opted for a shorter contract in Europe because he’s still hoping to resume his NBA career.
Former Utah Jazz Lottery Pick Still Has Time
Which, of course, would be fair enough. Exum, again, is only 26. Originally envisioned as an elite defender who would be capable of running an offense, his NBA career has been unfortunately impacted by injuries. He played 82 games in his 2014-15 rookie season, 66 in the following year, and has been unable to manage more than 42 in a single season since.
Last year, Exum split his time between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Houston Rockets. The latter club opted to cut the former Utah Jazz player this offseason, leaving him in his current predicament: play overseas and prove himself, or don’t play at all.
Every player that gets selected in the lottery portion of the NBA Draft doesn’t necessarily end up meeting expectations. Sadly, injuries have so far prohibited Exum from making good on the fifth overall selection the Utah Jazz spent on him. Hopefully, a brief stint in Europe gets him back on track.