Small forward Taurean Prince is signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to multiple NBA reporters. Prince is signing a one-year, $4.5 million deal with the Lakers.
The Minnesota Timberwolves made Prince an unrestricted free agent by not guaranteeing Prince’s $7.4 million salary for the 2023-2024 season.
Prine appeared in 54 games for the Timberwolves this past season. He averaged 9.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists while shooting 46.7% from the field, 38.1% from beyond the arc and 84.4% from the free-throw line.
The Timberwolves won 42 games and were the eighth seed in the 2023 Western Conference playoffs. They lost to the Denver Nuggets in the first round in five quick games.
Prince has career averages of 10.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists with the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers and Timberwolves. He’s a career 37.2% shooter from 3, so he projects to be a good fit next to Lakers superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Ironically, former Lakers guard Troy Brown Jr. signed with the Timberwolves, so Los Angeles and Minnesota just swapped Brown Jr. and Prince.
The Lakers got swept by the Nuggets in the 2023 Western Conference Finals. The franchise continues to operate as if LeBron will be playing for them, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic. After the LakeShow lost Game 4 of the 2023 Western Conference Finals to the Nuggets, “The King” hinted that he might retire this offseason. The four-time MVP and four-time Finals MVP is 38 years old.
“Though there has been no formal announcement yet, the Lakers continue to operate as if James will be back next season, despite him hinting at the possibility of retirement in a news conference following the Lakers’ season-ending Game 4 defeat to Denver in the West finals,” Buha wrote.
LeBron averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists this past season while shooting 50.0% from the field, 32.1% from beyond the arc and 76.8% from the free-throw line. The 19-time All-Star then put up 24.5 points, 9.9 boards and 6.5 assists per game in the 2023 playoffs against the Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors and Nuggets.
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