Jahmai Mashack had a great summer after being drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies with the last pick of the NBA draft and performing well during the summer league. However, the team opted to sign former Dallas Mavericks forward and first-round pick, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, to their last two-spot after he was waived last week.
The good news for Mashack and the organization is that they have his draft rights, so he is expected to remain as part of the organization with their G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle. There is also an outside shot that Mashack makes the roster with training camp looming and the Grizzlies having a couple of fringe roster guys who they could look to trade or potentially cut.
Although Mashack became a fan favorite, the Grizzlies made a move to better help balance their roster and brought some experience from a player who still has plenty of upside to offer at a position of need.
The Grizzlies chose upside at a discounted rate
ESPN's Shams Charania reported that "the Grizzlies were among several teams interested in trading for Prosper" before the Mavericks waived him after two seasons. Trading for him would've meant him being on the main roster, so that means the team got him at a steal with a two-way contract. This also means he chose Memphis over other suitors once he became a free agent.
At 6'7," he offers size and positional flexibility at the forward spots over the 6'3" Mashack, who could only play in a stacked backcourt that already includes fellow rookie and two-way signee Javon Small. Prosper was selected with the 24th overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft by the Mavericks and has played sparingly through two seasons with them.
In 92 games played for the Mavericks, he averaged 3.5 points on 39.6% shooting in 10 minutes per game. With not enough of a sample size to truly judge his potential and not spending time in the G League last year, the Grizzlies are taking a flyer on a player who displayed enough potential to become a first-round pick and be sought after by multiple teams this offseason.
As for Jahmai Mashack? He might not officially have a roster spot, but expect him to remain in the organization's plans moving forward, as changes are bound to happen. The Grizzlies are now fully rostered with 15 players and three two-way contracts, with media day just 25 days away.