Did Dante Exum play in NBA? Looking at Partizan Belgrade player's NBA career after he was hurt in a brawl in EuroLeague

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Looking at Dante Exum's NBA journey

Dante Exum was recently involved in a brawl in the EuroLeague playoff game between Partizan and Real Madrid. The incident occurred late in the fourth period of Game 2. Exum was thrown to the ground after attempting to protect his teammate, Kevin Punter.

Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, Exum was drafted by the Utah Jazz back in 2014 with the fifth pick. His rookie season wasn't impressive as he only averaged 4.8 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists after playing in all 82 games. The Jazz saw him as a future star, but he couldn't quite get his rhythm.

After five seasons with the Jazz, he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in December 2019.

He didn't last long with the Cavs, spending only a season and a half with the team before being traded to the Houston Rockets. He didn't get a chance to play for the Rockets and transitioned to the EuroLeague shortly after.

You might also be interested in reading this: Watch: Massive brawl breaks out in EuroLeague between Partizan and Real Madrid players

How did Dante Exum fare in the NBA

When Dante Exum was drafted into the NBA, the Jazz had high expectations for the Aussie guard. Although he lacked shooting, his defensive prowess gave him an edge against most players that were drafted with him. Exum stood at 6-foot-5 and had a 6-foot-9 wingspan, making him a defensive nightmare against most opponents.

His rookie season wasn't as impressive as the Jazz organization thought it would be. He averaged 4.8 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 82 games.

During the offseason, he played for the Australian national team but would end up tearing the ACL on his left knee. His sophomore season was put on hold as he needed an entire season to recover from the injury.

After his second full season in the league, Utah decided to move on to a different guard who ended up being the face of the franchise for five seasons. Donovan Mitchell's arrival was a sign that the Aussie guard's time with the team was up.

Two and a half seasons later, the Jazz traded him to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Exum played only six games in the 2020-21 season. The final straw was when the Cavs traded him to the Houston Rockets, where he didn't play a single game.

Also read: "Future Euroleague MVP Grayson Allen" - Bucks fans destroy Mike Budenholzer and Grayson Allen for horrific final play in Game 5

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