Over the weekend, the Mavericks quietly parted ways with 23-year-old forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper via stretch and waive. “O-Max” only had one season and about $3 million left on his contract, but the Mavericks elected to stretch out that money in order to re-sign guard Dante Exum. As a natural power forward and former first-round pick (just two seasons ago!), Prosper should be a potential target for the Detroit Pistons.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper: Filling the Pistons’ Void
Physically, Prosper matches the exact profile the Pistons are currently lacking. He’s a 6’8”/230lbs power forward who can provide genuine backup minutes at the four. After losing Simone Fontecchio in a sign-and-trade for Duncan Robinson, the Pistons currently only have one proven power forward on the team. Starter Tobias Harris plays that role well, but none of the Pistons backups have shown an ability to play the position at the NBA level.
The Pistons are likely banking on some internal growth to fill the backup power forward position, such as Ron Holland bulking up or Bobi Klintman developing into a rotation piece. But neither of those options is a guarantee, and the Pistons could use a cheap emergency option like Prosper as a safeguard.
Prosper has shown flashes of incredible defensive potential, including versatility to guard multiple defenders and a high motor. His 7’1” wingspan also allows him to disrupt plays all over the floor and stay in the mix on rebound opportunities. Prosper didn’t get much playing time last season (just 11.2 minutes per game in 52 appearances) but part of that can be attributed to the Mavericks’ incredible frontcourt depth.
Offensively, he has a lot of room to grow. His 3-point shooting was not strong last season, at just 23.5 percent from deep, and that’s an attribute he’ll need to improve as a role player. However, there is some reason to believe this will come around eventually; in the previous season, he shot 42 percent from three on over five attempts per game in the G-league. Of course, the G-league is not the NBA, but it shows promise that his mechanics are right and some more reps/rhythm can unlock his shot.
Prosper is in a similar position in his career to Bobi Klintman but has proven more than Klintman at every level. Klintman has been severely limited by his athleticism, and maybe simply not meet the NBA bare minimum in that regard. On the other hand, Prosper’s athleticism is a strong suit and he has at least shown signs of potential improvement in his weak points.
Prosper’s defensively-oriented playstyle also fits well with what the Pistons are building. His fit on the roster would already be sufficient because of his defensive contributions, and it’s worth taking a swing on his offensive upside.