NBA Draft Player Profile: Olivier-Maxence Prosper

Jun 15, 2023, 10:33 AM

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - FEBRUARY 04: Olivier-Maxence Prosper #12 of the Marquette Golden Eagles drib...

(Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Sacramento Kings Beat Writer

We are just one week away from June 22nd’s NBA Draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, meaning that it’s time to look at some potential picks for the Sacramento Kings’ 24th selection.

After drafting All-Rookie First Team forward Keegan Murray (fourth pick) last summer, the Kings will look to build off of its recent draft success by adding another young talent to its up-and-coming roster.

What type of player does Sacramento need to add to a team that just enjoyed its first NBA Playoff experience in nearly 20 years?

Over the next two weeks, Sactown Sports 1140 will provide you with profiles and players expected to be on the board near the Kings’ 24th pick.

Let’s dive in.

Olivier-Maxence Prosper | PF | Marquette

Age: 20

Height: 6’8

Weight: 230

2022-23 stats: 12.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 0.9 steals, 51% FG, 34% 3PT, 73% FT

ESPN Mock Draft: 28th

Prosper is a player that is expected to receive plenty of interest during the middle-end portion of the NBA Draft’s first round due to his upside as an impact defender.

At 6’8, Prosper logged most of his minutes with Marquette at the power forward position, although he was able to defend positions one through five thanks to his 7’1 wingspan and impressive physicality.

The 20-year-old is a talented one-on-one defender thanks to his size, and there is also some offensive potential in Prosper’s game as well (shot 62 percent from two-point range during 2022-23).

Prosper’s three-point shooting needs work, but the forward proved that he is able to run into hot-stretches after shooting 34 percent from deep during his sophomore season with the Golden Eagles.

How would Prosper fit with the Kings?

In a draft that has several three-and-D prospects, Prosper is a player that fits the bill in what the Kings need on its offense-heavy roster.

The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie released an updated NBA Mock Draft on Thursday that projects Prosper as the 24th pick in the draft, joining a Sacramento team that lacks length at the wing and defensive impact at multiple positions:

The Kings need players who profile as multi-positional defenders. De’Aaron Fox and Davion Mitchell were strong on defense this season but are too small to guard up the lineup. Kevin Huerter, Malik Monk and Keegan Murray aren’t difference-makers on that end, and Harrison Barnes hits free agency this offseason.

Prosper would be a nice developmental player for them to have in the system who could give them a real boost once he’s ready to play. The big key here is shooting. If they buy Prosper as a shooter, it’s a perfect fit.

The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie on Olivier-Maxence Prosper – June 15, 2023

In this case, the Kings would come for the defensive potential, stay for the three-point shooting with the hopes of developing the wing into a three-and-D specialist–something that Sacramento sorely lacks.

Olivier-Maxence Prosper can be extremely disruptive on the defensive end with his length at the next level. Doesn't have the best hands but gets tons of deflections. Great motor and overall activity on D as well pic.twitter.com/XnjNy2so9Y

— shanku nair (@shanku_nair) June 6, 2023

Depending on what general manager Monte McNair is hoping to achieve during Thursday’s draft, the selection of Prosper makes sense on paper for the Kings.

McNair has shown a tendency to draft players over the age of 20 to align with this current core’s timeline (Prosper will be 21 on opening night), meaning that Prosper–along with several other players that are reportedly on Sacramento’s radar–fits the bill in that regard.

At 6’8, 230 pounds with a 7’1 wingspan, Prosper has an NBA-ready build and appears to have the physicality that is needed to defend at the next level.

After being bullied in the paint during their first-round series against Golden State, it’s clear that the Kings need to add more physical, defensive-minded players to the fold as they build towards creating a championship-caliber product.

Does Prosper makes sense for Sacramento at 24th? If he can bring a constant defensive presence and develop into a perimeter threat, he could be a home run pick for the Kings late in the first round.

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