Olivier-Maxence Prosper was selected in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft. However, he struggled to carve out a significant role in Dallas before being waived. The Grizzlies offered him a two-way contract during the summer, and he has clearly exceeded expectations. The next step of his Grizzlies' career needs to be to give him a standard contract.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper, also known as "OMax," has been a bright spot despite the team's struggles. He has significant upside with his athleticism and wingspan, but he has lately improved his three-point shooting and looks more comfortable attacking off the dribble. The Grizzlies have plenty of promising young wings on the roster, but OMax also deserves to be in Memphis past this season.
OMax has looked way more comfortable this month
Even though the Grizzlies have entered a rebuild, and it is admittedly very difficult to be excited, OMax is one of the players already capitalizing on increased opportunities. For the month of February, he is averaging 12.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. It is clear that he possesses offensive upside and can be another needed boost to the Grizzlies' rebounding efforts.
For the season, OMax is averaging 7.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 33 games. But his recent growth should encourage many Grizzlies fans. It is clear he looks far more confident on offense than he did earlier in the season. Cedric Coward, Jaylen Wells, GG Jackson II, and Olivier-Maxence Prosper would be a very intriguing group of wing players going into next season.
Despite the Grizzlies having plenty of work to do roster-wise this offseason, signing Olivier-Maxence Prosper is an easy way to guarantee keeping a reliable bench player with the potential for more. Prosper's shooting leap is a very encouraging sight given that he struggled to shoot the ball well in Dallas. Most importantly, his consistent hustle and ability to get to the rim are making him even more appreciated in Memphis.
As the Grizzlies get closer to Prosper's game limit, the decision feels pretty simple to convert him to a standard contract. Javon Small and Jahmai Mashack are the other two-way contracts on the team. If Prosper gets converted to a standard deal, it would be wise for the Grizzlies to bring in another center on a two-way.
The Grizzlies' season is effectively over as far as winning goes, but development is still crucial in this early phase of the rebuild. Olivier-Maxence Prosper is another Grizzlies' two-way contract success, and it would only be right to give him a standard contract to remain in Memphis for multiple seasons.