With the 2024 NBA offseason underway, the focus for teams like the Los Angeles Lakers has shifted to free agency and improving the roster to get back into championship contention.
Typically, free agency is very active on the first day but this year it has been slow-moving due to the restrictions of the new CBA. The Lakers, in particular, have not done anything other than re-sign Max Christie and LeBron James.
A key part of their rotation during the 2023-24 campaign was Taurean Prince, who began the year as a starter before being moved to the bench. Prince had his moments as a starter under former head coach Darvin Ham but markedly improved when he got to play a smaller role off the bench.
Without many players with his 3-and-D skillset, Los Angeles made it a priority to lock up Prince but due to their lack of roster spots, weren’t able to bring him back. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Prince is signing with the Milwaukee Bucks one a one-year contract:
Free agent F Taurean Prince plans to sign a deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. pic.twitter.com/qpW5Tx0EcT
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 3, 2024
Prince’s new deal is expected to be for the veteran minimum and is great value for a forward who can credibly defend other threes and knock down an open 3-pointer. The veteran averaged 8.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists on 44.2 percent from the field, including 39.6 percent from distance, in his first season with L.A.
He will now get to reunite with Ham on the Bucks after the former Lakers coach accepted a position on Doc Rivers’ staff earlier this offseason. Prince and Ham have had a close relationship since their time together in Atlanta.
With the Lakers’ roster still being full, they will need to make trades to clear up space if they want to make any signings this offseason. Prince waited for them to do so in order to re-sign, but he obviously wasn’t willing to wait forever and rightfully so.
Lakers’ Taurean Prince prefers to start than come off bench
Taurean Prince was one of the few players who managed to stay healthy for the Lakers as he appeared in 78 games. Nearly half of those games were starts and Prince admitted he prefers to start than come off the bench.
That will be an interesting conundrum for Milwaukee, who obviously has Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo as their two starting forwards.
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