There could be an opportunity for the Charlotte Hornets to add a young player with intriguing potential and another draft asset. Rumor has it that the Dallas Mavericks need to dispatch Olivier-Maxence Prosper, and they may have to attach draft compensation just to get rid of the forward. If only the Hornets had room on the roster, they would probably be on the phone with Dallas right now.
According to league insider Jake Fischer, the Mavs have promised Dante Exum that they will re-sign the guard this summer, but their previous roster moves have now required them to get rid of one player (subscription required) to stay true to their word. The candidates to be dismissed are Prosper and Jaden Hardy, and the former appears to be the organization's preferred choice to let go.
Fischer also noted that Dallas only has two tradable second-round picks at the moment and would likely rather hold onto both instead of using any of them in any Prosper deal. As such, the route it would take is to use the waive-and-stretch provision on the $3 million he is set to earn for the 2025-26 campaign.
The Mavs do not have enough time to mull over their alternatives, though, as the deadline for teams to use the waive-and-stretch provision is Friday, 5:00 PM ET. So, there are also only a few hours left for the Hornets to try to make a move. The thing is that it would require them to execute a flurry of roster decisions, as they would need to part ways with two players (three, counting the non-guaranteed salary of DaQuan Jeffries) to make room for Prosper.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper has been a bust, but the draft asset would be juicy
The question, perhaps, for Charlotte is whether it would be worth all the trouble to acquire the two-year pro. From what he has shown in his career so far, he has plenty of work to do to shed the draft bust tag that some folks have conferred on him.
Prosper had gotten much hype from some Mavs fans before due to his potential to be a menacing defender. His strong ability to defend arguably four positions and promising on-ball defense would be a welcome addition to a Hornets squad that has struggled in that area in recent years. However, his lack of offensive contribution (3.5 points per game on 39.6 percent shooting from the field and 26.0 percent efficiency from 3-point land for his career) has made him unplayable for the most part.
Still, the Canadian hoopster could have had more chances of refining his craft if he had suited up for a rebuilding team, which, of course, Charlotte is.
What should pique Buzz City's interest more in the scenario, though, is the possibility, albeit slim, of landing another future draft pick. It would have been like hitting two birds (a young player and a draft asset) with one stone if only the Hornets had the resources (roster space and more time to assess any potential package) to pull it off.