Mavs' Exum out at least 4 weeks with fractured hand

Dallas Mavericks guard Dante Exum fractured a bone in his left hand Friday against the Houston Rockets and will be sidelined at least four weeks, the team announced Saturday.

His injury is another blow for the depleted Mavericks, who were missing eight players against Houston.

Exum went to the locker room at the 6:47 mark of the second quarter and was subsequently ruled out for the remainder of the contest.

The 29-year-old guard was playing in just his 18th game of the season. He missed the first three months of the 2024-25 campaign recovering from surgery on his right wrist.

Dallas is already missing starting point guard Kyrie Irving for the rest of the season after the nine-time All-Star tore his ACL on March 3. Star forward Anthony Davis, the marquee return in the shocking blockbuster that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, still has no return timetable after suffering an adductor strain in his team debut on Feb. 8.

Several other frequent starters were absent Friday, including center Daniel Gafford and forward P.J. Washington. Both Gafford and Washington sustained their respective knee and ankle sprains after the Doncic trade. Meanwhile, Dereck Lively II hasn't played since Jan. 14 because of a foot fracture. He was expected to miss two-to-three months, but it remains unclear if he'll return this season.

Exum, who was selected fifth overall by the Utah Jazz in the 2014 draft, was averaging a career-high 9.5 points to go along with 2.9 assists entering Friday's action. He was also shooting 44.7% from three on 2.8 attempts per contest.