In the weeks leading up to the 2023 NBA Draft, there was a lot of speculation as to when Olivier-Maxence Prosper would hear his name called and what team’s hat he’d proudly don for his picture with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
But the 6-foot-8 forward did not have to wait long to find out he would be a Maverick after the Sacramento Kings selected him as the No. 24 pick in the draft and traded him to Dallas.
“Versatility, hard work, somebody that’s going to bring some positive energy to team,” Prosper’s parents Gaetan and Guylaine said about what Prosper will bring to Dallas to ESPN’s Monica McNutt. “He’s going to bring a spark on the court and off the court. Help the game but also help the culture of the team any way he can.”
Prosper’s stock had risen exponentially since he declared for the draft in April, so much so that he is the first Golden Eagle to be not only drafted but also invited to the green room since Henry Ellenson was selected in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons.
Last season, the Marquette men’s basketball team featured the 2022-23 Big East Player of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year and several All-Big East First and Second Team players, but Prosper didn’t receive any conference honors.
But that does not mean his impact can be understated.
Prosper averaged 12.5 points per game and 4.7 rebounds per game for Marquette while improving his 3-point shooting from 31.7% as a sophomore to 33.9% as a junior.
On the other side of the ball, Prosper was the Golden Eagles’ most versatile defender who used his height, length and athleticism to guard different types of players at the point of Marquette’s press. He earned 33 steals on the season and was paramount to the Golden Eagles’ Big East Tournament title charge.
Prosper is the ninth first-round pick to come from Marquette in NBA history. The others are Dean Meminger (1971), Maurice Lucas (1974), Bo Ellis (1977), Butch Lee (1978), Dwyane Wade (2003), Lazar Hayward (2010), Jimmy Butler (2011) and Henry Ellenson (2016).
“Congratulations to the young man (Prosper),” former Marquette guard and 2023 first-ballot Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade said about Prosper Thursday afternoon in a press conference. “He’s put in a lot of work. I just got an opportunity to meet him. I just am a fan of someone who has a dream and will do anything to reach that dream in the way that he’s done. So I wish nothing but the best for him.”
This article was written by Jack Albright. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @JackAlbrightMU.
