TORONTO, ON - JANUARY 1: Dante Exum #11 of the Utah Jazz dribbles the ball during the second half of an NBA game against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on January 1, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) Despite being reevaluated on Tuesday, the Utah Jazz announced that Dante Exum will remain sidelined with an ankle sprain until after the All-Star break. If you were looking forward to seeing Dante Exum potentially return to action for the Utah Jazz in the coming days, then prepare to be disappointed. Tuesday marked reevaluation day for Utah’s slew of injured Jazzmen and unfortunately the verdict on Dante was the most discouraging of all. Though it was announced that Exum (sprained ankle) is indeed making “progress towards a return”, that so-called progress is apparently quite slow. Dante is still out and won’t be evaluated anew until after the All-Star break. That means he won’t suit up for any of Utah’s six remaining games between now and February 12th. And considering that after that he’ll merely be reevaluated, it’s entirely possible that he’ll be out of commission even longer. That’s not good news for the Jazz who could certainly use his length on defense and his depth on the wing, especially with four of their six upcoming contests coming against current playoff foes in the Western Conference. Exum isn’t the only one that remains on the mend as both Thabo Sefolosha (hamstring strain) and Raul Neto (groin strain) were also both reevaluated. Both are apparently on the up and up, but will simply undergo yet another reevaluation in a week’s time. Utah Jazz Injury Update pic.twitter.com/ZcPgpH7fdL — Utah Jazz PR (@UtahJazzPR) January 30, 2019 As such, expect the likes of Royce O’Neale and Georges Niang to continue to get extended playing time in their absences. Royce has played great of late and even Niang deserves credit for some nice minutes recently. Of course, of the three injuries, Exum’s appears to be the most lingering and is easily the most disappointing. Exum’s tenure with the Jazz continues to be riddled with injury, which has prevented him from ever finding any sort of rhythm or flow with the team. One would aim to be optimistic that he could make a brilliant return, but based on his track record, it will likely be a slow path back to effectiveness for Exum. Make no mistake about it, he’s had an odd career with the Jazz, considering how rarely he’s been available. By the time this year’s All-Star break is up, Exum will have appeared in just 201 games out of a potential 373 during his five-year career. That’s barely over 53 percent and it’s been even less that in recent seasons considering he played all 82 his rookie year. Dante Exum has played in 109 of the Jazz last 319 games. It will be 325 by the All-Star break. He’ll have appeared in just 33% of the Jazz games over the last 3.5 seasons. We’re well beyond wondering if he’s injury prone. Bizarre career so far. — Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) January 30, 2019 If this trend continues, it’s going to become hard to justify the lucrative contract the Jazz extended to the highly unproven Exum this past summer. He’s had some flashes, sure, but nothing nearly as vital as what the Jazz have long hoped he could be. Of course, with the February 7th NBA trade deadline upon us before the All-Star break, there is some speculation that Dante may have already played his last game in Utah and could very well be on the move before making a return. I suppose he could be included in a potential big-time deal to match salaries, but I honestly have a hard time seeing any teams being too eager to deal for him, especially with him out due to injury. Anything is possible, but I suspect that Exum will remain on the roster past February 7th, even if he likewise will also remain on the bench. From there, ideally his reevaluation after the All-Star break will be a quick and favorable one and he’ll be able to be back in action for the season’s closing stretch so that he, along with his Utah Jazz team, is in peak form by the start of playoff action.<doc-sep>Dante Exum's return to the court will not be until after the All-Star break, the Utah Jazz announced today. Exum suffered a left ankle sprain in the first half of their win over Detroit on January 5th and has not played since. The 23-year-old, who has missed the past 11 games was at the Jazz's practice facility getting some shots up today and although he is making progress, a clear return date won't be known until he is re-evaluated post-All-Star. Via Eric Walden: Dante is on the practice court working with the coaches. Potentially encouraging sign for his return. pic.twitter.com/HYCbEn36jJ — Eric Walden (@tribjazz) January 29, 2019 Prior to his injury, Exum had put together a strong stretch of play, providing a spark off the Jazz's bench with his playmaking and defence. In his last five games before getting hurt, Exum was averaging 13.4 points per game. For the season he is averaging 7.4 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. Despite missing Exum, Raul Neto (left groin strain) and Thabo Sefolosha (mild right hamstring strain), the Jazz look like they've found their groove, going 11-3 in January, currently sitting seventh in the Western Conference standings.<doc-sep>
That sound you just heard was the air being knocked out of every Jazz fan’s stomach. The Utah Jazz announced that Dante Exum—who many hoped to be on the verge of returning to the court—will be out until after the All Star break. Exum who has now been out since January 5th will remain out until after the All Star break. Thabo Sefolosha, Raul Neto, Dante Exum are all still out for the Jazz for Wednesday’s game vs. Portland. — Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) January 30, 2019 Dante Exum out through the All-Star break, Jazz announce. — Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) January 30, 2019 Utah Jazz Injury Update pic.twitter.com/ZcPgpH7fdL — Utah Jazz PR (@UtahJazzPR) January 30, 2019 It appears that Dante Exum’s injury is not progressing as quickly as Utah had hoped. This could be a sign of caution by the Utah Jazz in order for Dante Exum to return to full health. It could also be the Utah Jazz hedging their bet on his health so he can pass a physical in the event he’s traded before the NBA Trade Deadline on February 7th. Whatever the full reason, Dante Exum will not be returning back to the court until February 22nd at the latest which is a full seven weeks after the initial injury occurred. This puts Utah in a bit of a bind as they’re not that deep at the point guard position and they are being tempted by the what’s available on the free agent market. Prior to his injury Dante Exum was averaging 7.4 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. In the weeks before injury it had looked like Exum was finally putting it all together. It is with sadness that we report that Exum Island will continue to remain closed for repairs until late February. Meanwhile, Thabo Sefolosha and Raul Neto will be reevaluated in one week. So the Utah Jazz’s extreme lack of depth at the point guard position will continue to at least to two days before the NBA Trade Deadline.