Cooper Flagg's arrival will brutally force Mavericks youngster into the shadows

The Dallas Mavericks getting the ability to select Cooper Flagg No. 1 overall practically saved the franchise from the pit Nico Harrison put them in by trading away Luka Doncic, but Flagg's addition to this roster sparks some obvious questions over how Dallas' lineups will play out. Dallas did the right thing by taking Flagg first overall, but there's no doubt that he'll be adding to what was already an area of strength for the Mavericks, that being their frontcourt.

Harrison already thinks Flagg and P.J. Washington will be able to play together seamlessly, but it seems clear one of Washington or Klay Thompson will be coming off the bench for the Mavericks, as all signs are pointing toward Dallas continuing to roll with Anthony Davis at the four and one of Dereck Lively II or Daniel Gafford at the starting center slot.

Obviously, lineups and rotations in the NBA are fluid, and head coach Jason Kidd could divert from that plan at some point this season, but it's readily apparent nonetheless that minutes will be hard to come by in Dallas' loaded frontcourt. With Flagg likely starting at the three and also likely playing the four in some lineups, he is another bigger-bodied wing that will eat up a lot of clock in Dallas' rotation next season, which will make minutes hard to come by for someone like young wing Olivier-Maxence Prosper.

Olivier-Maxence Prosper's path to minutes just got way tougher

Having just turned 23 years old, Prosper hasn't taken any significant leaps through two seasons with the Mavericks, and he's been a rumored trade candidate ahead of training camp with Dallas having to cut their roster down from 16 players to 15 before the start of next season. Prosper was outplayed by two-way contract signee Kessler Edwards last season, as Prosper occasionally flashed some of the tenacious defense that led to Dallas selecting him 24th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, but overall has looked unconfident and hectic offensively this far into his career.

Prosper is one of the best athletes on Dallas' roster, and he could definitely still find a spot in the rotation next season if he improves as a driver and shooter, as he has the best size on the wing out of anyone on Dallas' roster besides Flagg. This could especially be the case if Washington and Flagg start together or play a lot of minutes together, as that would open up some time for Prosper to get in at the backup three or four position.

However, that is the best-case scenario for Prosper, and he may even get traded before training camp ends if Dallas feels like he hasn't improved enough heading into next season. This isn't an indictment on Prosper whatsoever, as he's been extremely hard working and leaves it all out on the floor every time he suits up, but he will have a tough time seeing the floor next season if his offense hasn't improved much, especially now that Caleb Martin is yet another wing that Kidd could throw at the three or even the four in smaller lineups.

For Dallas' sake, they should hope to see a different version of Prosper next season, especially since they elected not to have him play at Summer League this past July (though that could be related to his season-ending right wrist surgery in March). The Mavericks don't have a smorgasbord of first-round picks to look forward to each year as they enter the Flagg era, and hitting on someone like Prosper, who is young and fits Flagg's timeline, could be huge, but Flagg's arrival could ironically put Prosper's position on Dallas' roster in serious jeopardy.