Coming off being swept last season in the Western Conference Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers looked to add more veteran presence around LeBron James and Anthony Davis last summer. An underrated signing that general manager Rob Pelinka pulled off was signing Taurean Prince to a one-year, $4.5 million contract.
With Jarred Vanderbilt missing the beginning of the season, Prince stepped into the starting and played his role well, but was arguably misused by former head coach Darvin Ham. All things considered, he had himself a solid year when used appropriately, shooting nearly 40% from 3-point range.
When reflecting on the season, Prince prided himself on staying available for the team, playing 78 games, the most since his sophomore season, while also adapting to whatever role is presented to him and helping the team however he can.
“I’m a Swiss Army knife so I feel like I can adapt in any situation,” Prince said. “I just tried to stay available, that’s been my main thing over the past 3-4 seasons, just being available and having that ability to have my name called. This year I played I think 78 games, the most I played since my year three. So I think all the injury prone questions and things of that sort are out the window, so it’s just time to get stronger, get better and continue to share the ball.”
With free agency not until the end of June, Pelinka has plenty of time to evaluate the roster and make the necessary changes to be better next year. It will be intriguing to see Prince’s market, but it is within reason to explore the possibility of bringing him back.
When kept to his natural position of small forward, Prince is a solid defender who can shoot the 3-ball above league average. The issue in the James and Davis era is surrounding them with shooting, and the veteran forward was able to provide that this season in L.A.
Christian Wood picks up player option to return to Lakers
One player who will be under contract for the Lakers going into 2024-25 is center Christian Wood as it was reported that he has picked up his player option of $3 million.
It’s possible that Wood can be traded this summer, but if he is not then he will be back with the Lakers for a second season, looking to stay healthy and contribute more than he did in his first.
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