The Dallas Mavericks have questionably decided to add D'Angelo Russell to their backcourt as a part-time fill-in for injured star Kyrie Irving. The Mavs will now reportedly look to trade former first-round pick Olivier Maxence-Prosper, who would be a perfect addition to the Chicago Bulls' new plethora of wings.
After acquiring Isaac Okoro from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Lonzo Ball, the Bulls are now loaded with young, long, athletic combo forwards; it's clear that this is the type of player VP of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas is targeting this offseason. Okoro joins Matas Buzelis, Patrick Williams, Julian Phillips, Dalen Terry, Emmanuel Miller and 2025 first-round draft pick Noa Essengue as players who fit the archetype.
Prosper may seem like a luxury add at that spot, but he's not redundant, and Chicago could likely land him at a discount.
Bulls could make sneaky valuable trade for Olivier Maxence-Prosper
Prosper was the 24th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft but has yet to secure a consistent role in Dallas under Head Coach Jason Kidd. In 92 games across his first two seasons, he's averaged 3.5 points and 2.2 rebounds while shooting under 40 percent from the field in 10.0 minutes per game.
(To be fair, he's been stuck in a wing/forward log jam behind Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, Anthony Davis, Grant Williams, Derrick Jones Jr. and Maxi Kleber across those two seasons.)
The former Marquette standout was arguably a square peg trying to be jammed in a round hole in Dallas, where the Mavericks played a slow-paced, half-court style around Luka Doncic, prioritizing shooting and defensive versatility. Prosper can handle the latter, but his struggles with the former kept him out of the rotation.
He's a much better fit for the Bulls' up-tempo, run-and-gun system, which prioritizes length, on-ball defense and explosive athleticism. Prosper is a strong 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan and a high-intensity defender who can guard 2 through 4. His outside shot began to develop in his final season with the Golden Eagles, when he shot 34 percent on 3.2 attempts per game, compared to 17 percent as a freshman and 32 percent as a sophomore.
Prosper is only 22 years old and has the physical tools the Bulls crave at a position they're clearly prioritizing. With the Mavericks needing to clear a roster spot, Chicago could likely grab him on the cheap and see how he develops in their system with more opportunity.