Mavericks quietly part ways with once-hyped first-round pick from last year's roster

Ahead of Friday's waive-and-stretch deadline, the Dallas Mavericks have decided to waive Olivier-Maxence Prosper, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

Dallas drafted Prosper with the No. 24 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, but after rumors emerged that they would sign Dante Exum earlier this summer, it was clear that Prosper was on the chopping block. The Mavs needed to create an open roster spot, as the Exum signing would've given them 16 players under standard contracts, and this is what led them to ultimately dump Prosper.

The Mavericks shopped Prosper on the open market ahead of Friday's deadline, but they were ultimately forced to waive him. Dallas wanted to keep second-round draft capital out of any move they made to get rid of Prosper, and this ensured that they did just that.

Mavericks cut ties with Olivier-Maxence Prosper after just two seasons

Recent rumors indicated that Prosper or Jaden Hardy were two candidates who could get cut over the weekend, and now Prosper is free to search for a new home while Hardy gets to remain in Dallas for the time being. Hardy was the clear right answer when it comes to who the Mavs should've kept, as he has shown that he can be a rotation player much more often than Prosper has.

Last season for Dallas, Prosper averaged 3.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game while shooting 40.2 percent from the field and 23.5 percent from downtown, but he hadn't improved enough over his first two seasons to justify the Mavericks keeping him around. Prosper flashed his potential multiple times, including by becoming a strong 3-point shooter in the G League, but these improvements never lasted long enough for him to win over Jason Kidd.

Kidd gave him plenty of chances to prove that he belonged in the rotation, especially during injury spells, but his game was a bit too raw to become a consistent piece. He always played with unmatched energy and hustle, but all of the other parts of his game needed some development to prove that he could play real minutes on a contender.

The Mavericks waiving Prosper was actually a great move for both sides, as Dallas can now sign Exum, while Prosper can sign with a new team that better fits his developmental arc. Dallas didn't have minutes to give Prosper at this point, especially after they drafted Cooper Flagg, and he needed to be in a situation where he could be part of the rotation and go through the growing pains of the NBA.

This clearly wasn't going to be in Dallas, as they were in the NBA Finals just over a year ago, and he would fit better in a situation where a team is rebuilding rather than a team that is trying to contend for a title. A new situation could be exactly what Prosper needs to take his game to new heights, and a team from around the league should take a chance on him.

His defense and intangibles are both still so promising, and one team could end up striking gold by giving him a chance and allowing him to develop in their system.

Prosper was once a hyped prospect that Mavs fans couldn't wait to see play, but it quickly became evident that his game was going to take some time. That's something the Mavericks don't have much of, especially since they traded Luka Doncic over six months ago, and they have officially lost another piece of last year's roster.