Facing his former team, Olivier-Maxence Prosper savors a career night, highlighting the invaluable relationships and lessons learned during his Dallas tenure.
DALLAS — Olivier-Maxence Prosper made sure the Dallas Mavericks remembered him Friday night. He recorded 16 points, a career-high 10 rebounds, and three steals as the Memphis Grizzlies handed the Mavs a 124-105 loss at American Airlines Center — a strong performance against the franchise that waived him last August. Afterward, the 23-year-old forward spoke warmly about his two seasons with the organization.
"The thing I'm most grateful for in Dallas is the people — my teammates," Prosper told DallasHoopsJournal.com. "There are great people in that organization. I had a great time with all my teammates."
Sacramento took Prosper 24th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft and dealt him to Dallas the same night, where the 21-year-old from Montreal arrived with a reputation as a high-motor 6-foot-8 wing who could make life difficult for opposing players at multiple positions.
Over two seasons and 92 appearances with the Mavericks, Prosper averaged 3.5 points and 2.2 rebounds, but the stat line only tells part of the story. Sharing a floor and a practice gym every day with the likes of Dončić and Irving gave him something no minor league assignment could — a front-row education from two of the best players on the planet.
"Just learning from all the veterans — Kyrie, Luka, AD when he was there — I learned so much from talking to those guys and being around them every single day," Prosper told DallasHoopsJournal.com. "Those guys are all-time greats. Even just the friendships — me and Dereck Lively II got drafted together, and we're really close. I'm still close with him. Those are little things I'll always remember, and I'm truly grateful for those relationships."
His release came in late August, when Dallas waived him before the league's waive-and-stretch deadline, spreading his $3 million salary over three seasons at roughly $1 million per year through 2027. The move also declined his 2026-27 team option worth nearly $5.3 million. The primary motivation was creating the roster and apron flexibility needed to re-sign guard Danté Exum, with Dallas hard-capped at the second tax apron at the time.
Prosper cleared waivers and signed a two-way deal with Memphis. The consistent opportunity he never quite got in Dallas came quickly with the Grizzlies, who have leaned on him heavily amid significant injury attrition this season. He has averaged 7.4 points and 3.1 rebounds across 34 games while shooting 53.0% from the field and 40.3% from three — both dramatic improvements over his Dallas numbers.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd acknowledged after the game that opportunity has been the driving force behind Prosper's emergence.
"He's playing a lot of minutes," Kidd told DallasHoopsJournal.com. "They have a lot of injuries, and he's taken full advantage of that opportunity."
Prosper does not appear to carry any bitterness about how his time in Dallas ended. The relationships he built there, he said, are ones he will carry with him regardless of where his career goes from here.