After some deliberation, Utah Jazz guard Dante Exum has elected to undergo surgery to repair his injured shoulder, Jazz radio broadcaster David Locke reports.
BREAKING – Dante Exum has elected to have surgery on his left shoulder
— David Locke (@DLocke09) October 16, 2017
Exum separated his shoulder on Oct. 7 in the Jazz's preseason game against the Phoenix Suns. He had explored possible rehabilitation options to avoid surgery, but eventually opted to go under the knife for a second major surgery in his young career.
Dante Exum, the No. 5 pick in the 2014 draft, missed his entire second season in the NBA after suffering a torn ACL. He made his return last season, averaging 6.2 points and 1.7 assists in 66 games.
No timetable is set for Exum’s return, but now that he's opted for surgery, he could potentially miss the entire season for the second time in four years. It’s a tough blow for the 22-year-old Aussie, who will now face an uncertain future as he enters restricted free agency next summer.
The Jazz still have a good number of options at the guard positions even without Exum, though. Rodney Hood and rookie Donovan Mitchell can eat up significant minutes at shooting guard, while Ricky Rubio and Raul Neto can handle point guard duties. And like Exum, Mitchell also has the versatility to slide down to point guard if needed.
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