Jazz, Dante Exum are happy to reunite. Next time, they're hoping to do it on the court

CLEVELAND — On Sunday night, Dante Exum, Joe Ingles and Rudy Gobert went to dinner to reminisce about their years together in Utah.

They shared memories, shared laughs, but when Monday came, they didn’t share a court.

In the first game against his old club, Exum was in a familiar position: on the front row in a hoodie and suit coat, sidelined by the latest in his cruelly long line of injuries.

“You just kind of feel bad for him,” Ingles said. “... He's a great kid, he works hard, he obviously has a lot of talent. You just wish he could stay out there longer to put it all together.”

That was the story of Exum’s years in Utah. But everyone — his new team and old team, alike — are hoping that’s not the story of his time in Cleveland.

“Anytime you have a player that is as invested as Dante was to the staff, his teammates, the organization, you always want to see him have success and do well,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said.

It happened fast.

One minute, Exum was getting ready — actually, no, he was ready — to play for the Utah Jazz on Dec. 23 in Miami. The next, he was getting dressed and pondering what life would be like in Cleveland.

It would all be new for Exum. A new city, a new coach, new teammates, a new coach. And instead of feeling angered, or upset, or sad, he found himself… excited.

“Obviously I wanted to say my goodbyes, but I was ready for the new opportunity and excited to just get to Cleveland and not even go back to Salt Lake — that's the crazy thing,” Exum said. “I think just the excitement of going to a new place, new style, new everything and just getting the opportunity to play.”

The difference in opportunity was almost immediately noticeable.

In his sixth game with the Cavs, Exum scored 28 points on 11-of-13 shooting as he led a comeback attempt against the Timberwolves. The numbers were one thing, but it was how he was playing that was hard to ignore. He was driving freely, shooting with confidence — he was doing what so many had hoped he’d do in Utah.

“It was a great night,” Exum said. “I was playing free and just getting into the paint, shooting the ball when I was open. I think it's just good to play like that sometimes and not worry about if the shots are gonna go in or miss, it's just out there playing and having fun.”

In Utah, he had fallen out of Utah’s rotation. In Cleveland, he was thought to be part of the future.

“At the end of the day, he needed to play,” Ingles said. “And obviously, that wasn’t really the case here. With our personnel and how deep we were at the time. He’s had some really good games since he’s been here.”

There’s still a ways to go for Exum. He has to get healthy, he has to stop using Jazz terminology (six years of habits are hard to break), and he has to become more consistent.

That special night proved to be somewhat of an anomaly. Exum only had two other double-scoring nights before he rolled his ankle last week, forcing him out for what the Cavs have said is an extended period of time. But his former teammates are hopeful that he can finally put it all together.

“It’s fun to see him have a new start,” Gobert said. “I think maybe that was a good thing for him. It was hard to see him leave, but at the same time, (good) for him to show what he can do.”

The night in Miami feels so long ago now. Since then Exum has had to deal with moving (during Christmas time no less), an illness, a coaching change, and now an injury. That all meant that Sunday’s reunion felt like it was years in the making, not simply months.

“I felt like I'd kind of been away from the team forever, but it's only been, what, two or three months, but it's just good to catch up,” Exum said.

Next time, he and his old teammates are hoping to do it on the court, too.

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