D'Angelo Russell signing just turned polarizing Mavericks youngster into trade bait

Just days removed from the NBA Draft, where the Dallas Mavericks selected Cooper Flagg and changed the course of Mavericks basketball forever with the first overall pick, the team shifted its focus to acquiring a ball-handling guard via the free agent market. Multiple names jumped off the board to fans, but Nico Harrison and the Mavericks front office ultimately decided to sign D'Angelo Russell to a two-year, $13 million contract on Monday night, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

Russell doesn't just fit Dallas' need for a ball-handling guard who can pick up the load of the offense while Kyrie Irving remains sidelined with an ACL injury, but he was also the perfect player to sign for the taxpayer mid-level exception that the Mavericks had to offer. Russell is, without a doubt, an interesting player due to the attention he draws to the teams he plays on, but the Mavericks don't have much room to bargain, considering there weren't many names that fit the Mavericks' needs on the free agency market.

Russell signing with Dallas had been rumored to be a done deal for multiple days, and now that it's finally official and he secured the team's only open standard roster spot, the Mavericks could create a roster spot in the coming days by dumping a young forward in a move that fans may not like.

Prosper could be the odd man out after Mavericks sign Russell

Olivier-Maxence Prosper's time in Dallas can be summed up in disappointing fashion after the Mavericks traded back into the 2023 NBA Draft to select him with the No. 24 pick. Prosper has had his ups and downs in Dallas, but two years into the Prosper show, he may not be fit for the long run as a member of the Mavericks.

With this in mind and the fact that the Mavericks will have a logjam at the forward position, it may be best if the Mavericks move him to a rival team to create an available roster spot in the hopes of signing another veteran guard or retaining Dante Exum.

If Prosper were to stay in Dallas, it's very likely he would have yet another season of riding the bench and failing to meet expectations, which is why the reality of Prosper working out as a Maverick is dim. Shipping him off elsewhere would not only give Prosper a better chance at making an impact at the NBA level, but it would also create a much-needed roster spot available for the Mavericks to use for a player like Exum or Jordan Clarkson.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Mavericks would be in favor of moving Prosper elsewhere (subscription required) to create an open roster spot.

"Russell would be the Mavericks' 15th and final standard contract once he comes to terms," Stein wrote before the news of an official Russell signing went down. "But the Mavericks are expected to explore the trade market for 2023 first-round pick Olivier-Maxence Prosper in search of a team willing to absorb his contract and potentially open a spot to bring back Exum for additional backcourt depth."

It's unclear how the Mavericks would trade Prosper and to where, but there's high speculation that it would be in a salary-dumping fashion to create the roster spot needed for the Mavs.

While Prosper's name may be mentioned alone in potential salary-dumping moves, the Mavericks may also look to include Jaden Hardy's contract if any team were interested. As it stands, Hardy is making $6 million annually, which is likely why Prosper would garner more attention on the trade market compared to Hardy.

It's unclear which team would be interested in taking a young forward like Prosper on their team, but there's a high chance a team may strike a deal with the Mavericks due to Prosper's potential and the low risk that comes along with that.