So far, the Brooklyn Nets have used up nearly $40 million of their salary cap space, taking on Terrance Mann, Michael Porter Jr. and Haywood Highsmith and paying out another $1.1 million in cash considerations, all to pick up an unprotected first rounder from the Atlanta Hawks in 2025 (which became Drake Powell,) an unprotected Nuggets first rounder in 2032 and unprotected Miami Heat second rounder in that same draft. They sent Cam Johnson to Denver for MPJ.
By most estimates, Brooklyn still has about
$16 million left and go higher depending on what happens with Cam Thomas and the five players with team options.
So, they’re almost certainly not done. And as reports Wednesday indicated, their next deal could be with the Dallas Mavericks. In order, Marc Stein of The Steinline, Yossi Gozlan of capsheets.com and Brett Siegel of Clutch Points all reported in varying detail that the Nets could be part of discussions to help the Dallas Mavericks get under the second apron with Olivier-Maxience Prosper, a 23-year-old 6’7” power forward heading to Brooklyn along with future draft assets.
Of the three, Siegel was the most specific…
Dallas has engaged in trade conversations regarding OMax over the last two weeks of August and are actively talking with a couple of teams about a trade before training camp. The main motivation for potentially moving Prosper is to give him an opportunity to grow elsewhere and open a roster spot to officially sign Dante Exum.
The Brooklyn Nets and the Miami Heat could make sense as potential suitors for the Mavs’ young forward, especially if they are to receive minor draft compensation from Dallas.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper was one of the Nets’ targets in the 2023 NBA Draft before they ended up with Noah Clowney, (Prosper was taken at No. 24, Clowney at No. 21.)
The Dallas-based Stein also reported current interest on the Mavs part to move OMax as he’s known.
Gozlan who wrote about possible Nets interest in Prosper earlier this month had this to report Wednesday in a follow-on to Stein’s tweet…
Indeed, the Mavs have two second rounders, the Philadelphia 76ers in 2030 and their own in 2032, but neither would seem that appealing. To start, the Nets already have 19 seconds over the next seven years and Cooper Flagg will only be 25 in 2032. How valuable could that Mavs pick be?
However, the Nets and Mavericks have intertwined draft fortunes. Brooklyn controls Dallas second rounders in 2029 and 2030, the last vestiges of the Kyrie Irving deal. Also in 2029, the Nets and Mavs first rounders are linked. In simple terms, the Nets receive the least favorable of first round picks among their own, the Mavs and Suns, part of the June 2024 exchange of picks between the Nets and Houston Rockets. So purely speculating, there are opportunities for an unconventional return beyond just second rounders.
As for Prosper, he has largely been a disappointment in Dallas, playing 92 games in two years, averaging 3.5 points and 2.4 rebounds in 10 minutes per game. Moreover, he underwent right wrist surgery in May. The Montreal native is currently guaranteed for 2025-26 at $3.0 million but whoever holds his rights has the option of not extending him for 2026-27. The deadline October 31. While the Nets may have had interest in him back in 2023 when he played at Marquette, their current interest is not known.
