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SALT LAKE CITY — Donovan Mitchell’s voice changed. He had been busy rolling off all the things that resulted in the Jazz losing to Miami on Monday — the lack of execution late in the game, the missed shots, the poor defensive possessions. He was direct, he was business-like — and then he was asked about Dante Exum.
“That’s my guy, man,” Mitchell said in a slower, happier tone, much like a friend reminiscing. “It’s moments like this you remember it’s a business. He’s a guy that’s been such an incredible spirit, going through what he has gone through, injury-wise. I wish him all the best. I loved him as a teammate. Great teammate. Great dude. He’s a guy that’s always lighthearted, always in a great mood, and we are definitely going to miss his presence.”
The guard the Jazz selected with their No. 5 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft will always be the great mystery for the Jazz; the question that will now always be unanswered.
What would have happened if he had stayed healthy? Where would he be — where would the Jazz be — if injuries hadn’t stolen the majority of three seasons?
Injuries derailed his Exum's career, both in terms of missing games and missing out on a chance to develop. Even with the Jazz’s bench being mostly awful this season, Exum still couldn’t crack the rotation. The Jazz had to send picks out with him to get Cleveland to do the deal. That's how far Exum's stock has fallen.
This much was clear: The Jazz coaching staff didn’t believe Exum could truly help this team. And Monday’s move to send him to Cleveland in exchange for Jordan Clarkson is proof of that.
At the same time, this fact is also clear: The Jazz organization believed in Exum, at least the front office did. That's why they signed him to a three-year extension based on nothing but glimpses of solid play.
On Monday, hope was no longer enough.
On a Sunday in Toronto, Exum slowly gathered his things together following a disheartening loss. The Jazz had been blown out by epic proportions, but that meant one thing for Exum: he at least got to play.
Exum scored nine points on 3-of-4 shooting in 11 minutes of action. To him, it was nice to get out there. But it also highlighted his frustration.
“It sucks being down 20,” Exum said. “I mean, obviously, not having been able to play, just to get out there and get a run is good. I’m just going to get more and more comfortable playing more. … Once you finally get healthy, all you want to do is play, play, play. And, you know, that's not the reality sometimes. But I'm going to take it in stride and make sure when I do get that time, I'm taking full advantage of it.”
Exum played in just four more games after that. He scored a combined six points.
The 2013-14 season was one of the worst in franchise history. The Jazz won 25 games as fans got the opportunity to see such names as John Lucas III, Brandon Rush, Diante Garrett, and many other forgettable names. The reward for that season: Exum.
He was supposed to be a cornerstone of the franchise, maybe even the cornerstone of the franchise.
Speaking on a podcast, former ESPN draft guru Chad Ford relayed the thoughts of a general manager about Exum’s potential.
“He is the closest he has seen to a young Kobe Bryant," Ford said, speaking about what a general manager told him. "Forget about the point guard thing. That is who Exum reminds him of. If that is the case, we should be excited. I have a feeling, had he gone to college, we would be talking about him right there — if not ahead of — (Andrew) Wiggins and (Jabari) Parker.”
Even at that point, that assessment was probably off base. But that’s the kind of optimism that onlookers had about Exum. And when he won the starting point guard spot midway through his rookie season, that only heightened things.
Then the injuries piled up. An ACL tear stealing a season. A shoulder separation mostly stealing another. A high-ankle sprain and torn patellar tendon combing to end another.
In between all of that, Exum has shown glimpses, and some significant ones — his defense on James Harden in the 2018 playoffs comes to mind — of a player that could be the guy so many wanted and hoped for.
On Saturday, there was a 2 1/2 minute stretch when the Jazz bench was outscored by 12. In Monday’s loss to the Heat, Utah’s bench unit was outscored 43-22 (and that was even on one of their better nights).
Those were just the latest two examples of a second unit that is clearly not good enough to help the Jazz get to where they want to go — a second unit that Exum was no longer even a part of.
So, the Jazz couldn’t wait anymore. They could no longer let hope win out. They closed Exum's chapter in Utah.
"I think all the guys are going to miss him for sure," Mitchell said. "I just wish him the best of luck and to stay healthy, because he’s a guy that puts the work behind closed doors that people don’t see. He puts a lot of hours in, and I respect him and love him for that."
