Cavs’ Dante Exum set to be sidelined for likely 1-2 months with calf strain

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Dante Exum is reportedly set to be sidelined for one-to-two months with a right calf strain.

Cleveland Cavaliers veteran guard Dante Exum has had some awful injury luck througout his career.

Exum, who was acquired via trade from the Utah Jazz in December of 2019, had his injury troubles with the Jazz, which included missing the 2015-16 season due to a torn ACL, and Exum had some rough luck regarding shoulder ailments previously, for instance.

In 2017-18, his season was limited to 14 games due to shoulder surgery, and he had other prior knee issues, anyhow.

Last season, Exum, for example with the Cavs, missed an eight-game span leading into the then-novel coronavirus-induced hiatus/ultimately Cleveland’s last 2019-20 games due to a high ankle sprain. And he was seemingly set to miss more of an extended period then, had the season not gone into hiatus.

Unfortunately, Exum’s tough injury luck reared its ugly head on Monday, too. He suffered a right calf strain in Cleveland’s Monday loss at the Orlando Magic right near the beginning of the game, and is reportedly set to be sidelined for “one-to-two months,” per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

This is just another awful break for Exum, and the Cavs injuries are piling up, unfortunately.

The Cavs have been ravaged by injuries. Kevin Love is still set to be out for now two-to-three weeks seemingly with a right calf strain, of which he reaggravated last week; he’ll be re-evaluated following that timetable.

Darius Garland is set to miss his second straight game on Wednesday due to a right shoulder strain, also, and Dylan Windler (fractured left hand) is not reportedly set to be in action in the Cavs’ current road trip.

Matthew Dellavedova (concussion) and Kevin Porter Jr. (personal) have not been in action for Cleveland this season, either, and their timetable isn’t clear at this point.

On the plus side, Isaac Okoro was not listed as out for Wednesday’s game at the Orlando Magic. Okoro missed Cleveland’s last five games due to a left foot sprain, and was previously in the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocol.

So him seemingly being back in that next game is a positive, and Cleveland has missed his defense, finishing/cutting and secondary playmaking, as Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff seemingly previously alluded to.

Swinging back to Exum, though, this is such awful news for him; he’s just unfortunately not been able to stay healthy for significant stretches of time in recent seasons.

Hopefully he can get potentially healthy in due time, at any rate, but we’ll have to see for him.

This is tough for him/the Cavs, especially considering the Wine and Gold have had the injury list pile up, and Exum has played such quality perimeter defense. Though the basic box score splits of 3.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists didn’t necessarily illuminate it, Exum, when healthy, has proven to be a solid rotational piece for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

I know that him only playing 19.4 minutes per outing played into it some, but aside from fellow more so bench contributor Damyean Dotson, Exum had the second-best defensive rating of regular rotation players so far for Cleveland. He helped the squad some as a playmaker, too.

We’ll again have to see if Exum, who is set to be an expiring player after this season, can be back and able to contribute later on this season for the Cavs.