Earlier today, news broke of the Mavericks waiving their 2023 first-round pick Olivier Maxence-Prosper using a stretch provision to create room for veteran guard Dante Exum and help Dallas avoid the second apron given their costly roster.
Prosper, the 24th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, entered the league as a three-year collegiate prospect, spending one season at Clemson from 2020 to 2021 and two seasons at Marquette from 2021 to 2023. In two seasons with Dallas, Prosper was one of the team’s few young pieces (until they claimed the ultimate prize of Cooper Flagg), yet the Montreal native never quite broke out or established his footing with the Mavericks.
While Prosper is far from a blow-away prospect, he was already on my radar before as a potential recruit to join the Raptors as I considered potential landing spots back when Chris Boucher trade rumors were swirling. Somewhat similar to Boucher, Prosper embodies that glue guy, hustle mentality, and constant energy archetype, despite having a lot of questions surrounding his ability to develop a consistent offensive game and move effectively with the ball.
While Prosper is not quite the long-range shooter Boucher is, O-Max's measurements and pre-draft scouting focused mainly on his potential to develop into a prototypical modern NBA perimeter player or long wing with defensive upside. And hey, where have we seen a team that takes a dozen chances on players like that — well, in Toronto of course. Adding to that, I think the fact that O-Max is Canadian also just made him stick out to me in terms of finding his fit with the Raptors.
Now that Olivier Maxence-Prosper is on the open market, he will likely attract many suitors eager to secure a training camp spot or to sign him outright to a multi-year deal in the wake of his free agency. The question is, will the Toronto Raptors be the one to step up and sign the 23-year-old forward?
Is the Mavericks' loss of Olivier Maxence-Prosper the Raptors' gain?
Well, I can definitely see a scenario where the admiration for players of this build still appeals to the Raptors brass, but Toronto, as I've emphasized throughout the offseason, is in a tough spot with a growing cap crunch and a nearly full roster.
The Raptors could consider giving Olivier Maxence-Prosper a chance to prove himself before final cuts for the 2025-26 season, but it would likely be on a minimum deal (if O-Max can't secure anything better). If they are satisfied with O-Max, Toronto will need to make room by cutting someone like AJ Lawson. I’ve already mentioned Lawson had a strong Summer League run and a solid late-season stretch last year that should earn him that final spot, but things could get tricky.
However, with the current roster in Toronto, I’m not sure if adding another tall, non-shooting forward is the smartest move for the Raptors. They already have players like Jonathan Mogbo and Collin Murray-Boyles who fit that archetype, so maybe the window for O-Max to find success in Toronto has closed. But I don't know, I think that "Vision Six-Nine" will always somehow prevail, even when I feel it's on the backburner.
I suppose we'll just have to wait and see where Olivier Maxence-Prosper lands.