The Mavericks have waived rookie Olivier-Maxence Prosper to make room for Dante Exum, spreading his salary over three years to avoid second apron tax penalties.
By using the stretch provision, Dallas will pay about $1 million annually for Prosper through the 2027-28 season instead of his full salary this year.
“Mavs will carry a dead money cap hit of $1,002,360 for Olivier-Maxence Prosper for each of the next three seasons,” salary cap expert Keith Smith explained on social media Friday. “Dallas was already carrying a $2,208,856 dead money cap hit for JaVale McGee for the same years. That’s a total of $3,211,216 each year for the next three years.”
This move lets the Mavs finally sign Exum to the deal they agreed on back on July 2.
The team had been trying to trade Prosper before the 5 p.m. deadline but wasn’t willing to give up one of their few remaining draft picks to sweeten the deal.
Exum will now take Prosper’s spot as the 15th player on the roster.
Prosper Likely to Find a New Team Soon
The 23-year-old Prosper is expected to draw interest from other teams as an unrestricted free agent, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Prosper was the 24th pick in last year’s draft, originally selected by Sacramento before being traded to Dallas on draft night.
His playing time was likely to decrease anyway after the Mavs drafted Cooper Flagg.
During his rookie season, Prosper appeared in 92 games (starting five) and averaged 3.5 points and 2.2 rebounds in 10 minutes per game. He shot just 39.6% overall and struggled from three-point range at 26%.
Exum, on the other hand, has had quite the journey. The former 5th overall pick in 2014 spent his early career bouncing between Utah and Cleveland before heading to Europe for two seasons.
Injuries have been a constant problem for Exum, limiting him to just 75 games over the past two seasons since his NBA return.
When healthy, though, he’s been pretty solid for Dallas. He averaged 8.7 points in 20 games last season while shooting an impressive 43.4% from three-point range.
P.J. Washington Extension Coming?
P.J. Washington became eligible for a four-year, $89.2 million contract extension on Friday.
The Dallas Morning News reports the Mavs are “likely” to extend Washington this offseason, though the exact terms aren’t clear yet.
If Washington signs an extension, NBA rules would prevent him from being traded until next offseason.
Washington joined the Mavs in a February trade after originally signing a three-year, $46.5 million deal with Charlotte last summer.
He made an immediate impact in Dallas, averaging 14.7 points and a career-best 7.8 rebounds last season while shooting a solid 38.1% from three-point range.
