Mavericks' painful answer to roster dilemma is staring them in the face

When rumors emerged that the Dallas Mavericks would be signing Dante Exum to a one-year deal earlier this summer, it was clear that they would need to create a roster spot. With Exum returning to Dallas, they had 16 players on standard deals, and this has quietly been their biggest roster problem of the summer.

But now, the answer to this roster crunch is clear and coming fast.

According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, Dallas may be forced to waive and stretch a player ahead of today's 4 PM CT deadline to make room for Exum, and it would likely end up being Olivier-Maxence Prosper or Jaden Hardy.

Mavericks may be forced to waive and stretch Hardy or Prosper

The Mavericks have been shopping Prosper on the open trade market for some time, and if they aren't able to find a trade partner, they may be forced to waive and stretch him. Dallas prefers to keep second-round draft capital out of this deal, and waiving and stretching may be their best bet to avoid surrendering draft capital while creating a roster spot.

Moving Prosper elsewhere may be the best plan for both sides, as there won't be a clear path for him to receive minutes with Cooper Flagg in town now. While he has shown flashes for Dallas, he hasn't been able to win over Jason Kidd just yet, and he needs to be somewhere he can play through the growing pains and be in the rotation.

The Mavericks can't offer him a consistent role, and it would make most sense for him to be moved to a team where he can spread his wings and develop. He is entering his fourth season in the NBA, and now is the time to prove he belongs somewhere. Prosper hasn't reached the level that fans expected when Dallas drafted him in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft, and he may never if he doesn't get moved.

If Dallas doesn't end up trading or waiving and stretching Prosper, they could also consider making such a move with Hardy. While Hardy has definitely shown more promise than Prosper over the last few years, it doesn't seem like he has fully won over Kidd just yet, either, as his role is almost always sporadic.

Hardy, too, may need a change of scenery to reach his full potential, and Dallas may not be able to provide him with the minutes he needs to fully flourish. He has proven he can be a high-level role player multiple times throughout his career with his electric 3-point shooting off the catch and ability to score in bunches, but minutes in Dallas are tight.

The Mavs should definitely keep him if they believe he can secure a real role in their rotation within the next few years and become a key piece off the bench, but if not, they could explore dumping him. He is entering year one of a three-year, $18 million extension, and this could quickly become a negative asset if he becomes unplayable.

The clock is ticking for Dallas to make some sort of move, and as things stand, they may be forced to waive and stretch Hardy or Prosper.