The Anthony Davis era in Dallas came to an end much sooner than many expected. The Mavericks sent the veteran forward to the Washington Wizards alongside several other players in a blockbuster deal. However, while the world awaits AD’s debut in Washington colors, the franchise has already parted ways with one of the trade pieces that arrived with him in the capital.

That player is Dante Exum, who landed in Washington as part of the deal package for Davis, along with Jaden Hardy and D’Angelo Russell. However, not even a week into his arrival, the 30-year-old guard has been waived by the Wizards.

“Dante Exum has been waived by the Wizards,” NBA Underdog reported.

Nonetheless, this move doesn’t come as a massive surprise at all, as the guard underwent a season-ending surgery on his right knee in December and has yet to appear for a single game this season. Injuries have been a recurring theme throughout Exum’s career, as after playing all 82 games as a rookie, he then missed the entire 2015-16 campaign with a torn ACL.

As if that wasn’t troubling enough, he then later dealt with several shoulder, ankle, and knee issues, further hampering his progress. Nonetheless, when healthy, Dante Exum has certainly shown he can be a great addition to any NBA team. When healthy, Exum has flashed real value, including last season with Dallas, where he appeared in 20 games.

During that time, the Australian guard averaged 8.7 points, 2.8 assists, and 1.6 rebounds per game in just 18.6 minutes of action per game. However, that probably wasn’t enough to convince the Wizards front office, who thought that carrying his $2.3 million cap hit after he clears the waivers would be a better deal, as it would open a spot for them on their roster.

The Wizards now have just 13 players on standard contracts, with Keshon Gilbert filling the 14th spot on a 10-day deal. So, they can use that extra spot to land a player who could help the team now, rather than someone like Exum, who will have no impact on the team for the foreseeable future. Especially after the franchise decided to shut down Anthony Davis for the rest of the season.

The Wizards take a huge call on Anthony Davis

Ever since the news of Anthony Davis’ trade broke, the Washington Wizards’ fans have been buzzing to see the Brow in action for the first time, especially alongside Trae Young, whom the franchise landed just a month prior. However, unfortunately, that won’t be possible until next season after the franchise made a bold decision on their marquee acquisition.

According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, AD won’t be playing for the rest of the season. This comes as a result of the forward dealing with a combination of hand and groin injuries at the moment. So, rather than risking his fitness for a few wins this season, Washington’s plan for Davis is “to get fully healthy for the 2026-27 season.”

While this might come as a bummer for the fans waiting for Anthony Davis to take the court for their favorite team, it’s arguably the best way forward for the franchise. That’s because Trae Young is also dealing with an extended injury absence. So, it completely makes sense for the Wizards to shut down both their stars to help them fully recover for the new season.

Meanwhile, tanking this season could be a good thing for Washington after all, as it would only boost their chances of landing the No. 1 pick in next year’s draft. So, for now, keeping AD and Young on the sidelines, as weird as it may sound, is actually the best strategy for the organization, as they hope to emerge as playoff contenders from the Eastern Conference next season.