Mavericks' punt on youngster is Nico Harrison's first whiff of Cooper Flagg era

Heading into Friday, most Dallas Mavericks fans were expecting something to be announced in regard to a P.J. Washington contract extension, as August 29 was the first day Washington was eligible to sign an extension up to four years and $89 million. However, the only news Mavericks fans got on the day was in regard to 23-year-old wing Olivier-Maxence Prosper, as the Mavericks announced they are going to stretch-and-waive Prosper's contract.

Mavericks fans had long been expecting one of Prosper or Jaden Hardy to be dealt in a salary dump move to make way for Dante Exum to re-sign on a minimum deal, but it became clear in recent days that Dallas was focusing on dealing Prosper above all else. It's also clear that they ultimately chose to stretch-and-waive him because of not wanting to attach any draft capital in an outgoing salary dump.

Through two seasons with the Mavericks, Prosper never developed the fluidity in his offensive game that is required to get consistent minutes on a playoff-caliber team like the Mavericks, but punting on a third-year player so quickly is undoubtedly an admission of failure by Nico Harrison and Dallas' front office, and the Mavericks can't afford to whiff on first-round picks any longer as they head into the Cooper Flagg era.

Missing on a first-round pick like Prosper is unacceptable the Flagg era

Dallas's only outgoing first-round pick over the next handful of seasons is technically their 2027 first-rounder, but they are hard-pressed to be able to trade any of their first-round picks ahead of the draft until 2029 because of the Stepien rule. These next few seasons will be the most quintessential seasons of Flagg's development for Dallas, yet also the easiest time for the Mavericks to add talent around him since he'll still be on his rookie scale deal.

Considering Prosper is still very young and fits Flagg's timeline, it would've been great for the Mavericks to capitalize on Prosper and turn him into a dynamic 3-and-D wing who could've played alongside or behind Flagg for seasons to come, but these are the type of sacrifices that can happen when a team is trying to balance two separate timelines.

If the Mavericks weren't trying to juggle being a contender next season, there'd probably be more leeway for Prosper to continue to develop, as his athleticism and frame bode well for him becoming a high-profile defender at some point in his career. However, he must get less overzealous and less herky-jerky on the offensive side of the ball, and the Mavericks simply don't have time to wait on this if they are trying to maximize their 15-man roster and have better options on the table.

Perhaps the Mavericks could've stretch-and-waived Dwight Powell if they wanted to better maximize their talent pool, especially since Prosper still has so much room to grow, but it's clear Powell's veteran acumen and leadership are preventing Dallas from moving on from him till his contract is complete, and Mavericks fans will have to just pray Prosper doesn't go elsewhere and develop into a high-level role player. Ultimately, Prosper never showcased enough potential for Mavericks fans to be grinding their teeth over this as they go to bed at night, but they also can't be surprised if this comes back to bite Dallas in the early stages of the Flagg era.