Taurean Prince

[CP War Hawks]

I agree with the the 2021 off-season affects prince but some teams will be pot committed and will only have the 2020 window to spend.

He's probably not the best fit under pierce. Guys that make quicker decisions seem to thrive under him while prince seems more methodical.

[_s_t_u_r_t_]

I agree with the the 2021 off-season affects prince but some teams will be pot committed and will only have the 2020 window to spend.

"pot committed".... ?

[Jamaaliver]

Should Atlanta Hawks Re-Sign Taurean Prince This Offseason?

Prince has seen his role shift in his first three seasons in the NBA, and now, ahead of the final year of his rookie-scale contract, he will be eligible for a rookie extension this offseason and if an extension is not figured out, Prince will be a free agent in 2020.

The question is: Should the Atlanta Hawks prioritize Prince this offseason?

To be sure, almost any team in the NBA would love to have a fairly young (Prince turned 25 in March) sharpshooter from distance with good positional size and the tentative ability to guard multiple positions.

Of course, Atlanta Hawks brass as well as Hawks fans know that Prince has rarely expended much effort on the defensive end, though his scoring explosions in his second season were a tantalizing glimpse of what his future could bring.

If Prince is looking to get fully paid, then the Atlanta Hawks might not be the answer for him. However, if the team offers him a decent salary (such as the Josh Richardson deal of 4 years/$42 million), then he would be an extremely attractive trade chip for the team going forward.

Even if they can’t get a trade done, that is an excellent price for a young player that still might have a wee bit of upside left to explore. The Atlanta Hawks have a big decision about Prince on their hands, and we shall see how General Manager Travis Schlenk handles it.

Soaring Down South

[jayu70]

The Richardson contract is a good barometer as well as Justice Winslow's. $10-$13 mil range.
Kelly Oubre's pending RFA this offseason is also something to watch.

[_s_t_u_r_t_]

Should Atlanta Hawks Re-Sign Taurean Prince This Offseason?

Prince has seen his role shift in his first three seasons in the NBA, and now, ahead of the final year of his rookie-scale contract, he will be eligible for a rookie extension this offseason and if an extension is not figured out, Prince will be a free agent in 2020.

The question is: Should the Atlanta Hawks prioritize Prince this offseason?

To be sure, almost any team in the NBA would love to have a fairly young (Prince turned 25 in March) sharpshooter from distance with good positional size and the tentative ability to guard multiple positions.

Of course, Atlanta Hawks brass as well as Hawks fans know that Prince has rarely expended much effort on the defensive end, though his scoring explosions in his second season were a tantalizing glimpse of what his future could bring.

If Prince is looking to get fully paid, then the Atlanta Hawks might not be the answer for him. However, if the team offers him a decent salary (such as the Josh Richardson deal of 4 years/$42 million), then he would be an extremely attractive trade chip for the team going forward.

Even if they can’t get a trade done, that is an excellent price for a young player that still might have a wee bit of upside left to explore. The Atlanta Hawks have a big decision about Prince on their hands, and we shall see how General Manager Travis Schlenk handles it.

Disagree with the Hawks bloggers who (a) presume he's not a fit on this roster, and (b) who claim we've seen enough to know precisely what he is going to become, that (c) he "has rarely expended much effort on the defensive end," and (d) like this blogger, are mostly inclined to trading him.

They ignore that he only began receiving consistent meaningful minutes in the second half of his rookie season under Bud, and this season, missed about 1/3rd of it, mostly due to injury. So, though the numbers say he's played in about 80% of the games of his first three seasons, his experience runs closer to two professional seasons than three. And while 25 has been the magic age that often is cited as bearing out what someone's ceiling is, that's less true as players have less pro experience. There is no shortage of examples of players who blossomed between 25-28... DMC being one, who came to ATL at age 27.

With regard to his defense, it's not even about effort. That's lazy analysis. He's giving effort. He's just not yet a savvy veteran in that respect. That's why you see him having games where Pierce is quoted in the post-game that Prince shut someone down, but just not often enough to earn the reputation we all hope he'll eventually earn. He's too inconsistent for now. But he has the body, has the physicality, has enough fluidity, and has the gumption. All he needs is time and good coaching to begin plugging in mentally and recognizing what opponents are trying to do on a consistent basis. He's intelligent and he's learning.

[Jamaaliver]

Q: Do you think it’s likely the Hawks will move Taurean Prince? What is his trade value? With his ability to shoot (and sometimes create offense), it seems he could’ve really helped a number of teams in the playoffs this year.

A: I think Prince’s trade value likely won’t go up much more than what it currently is right now. I think he could net a mid- to late-first-round pick in return.

During his exit interview with the media, Schlenk said he’ll speak with Prince’s agent when that time comes to see if a deal can be worked out in regards to his eligibility of a rookie extension this summer. That doesn’t necessarily mean a deal will get done, and Schlenk wouldn’t say directly whether he sees Prince as part of the foundational core.

Said Schlenk, “I’ve stated this many times, and I honestly believe this, he’s one of the best spot-up shooters in the NBA. That’s what every team is looking for, so I have no problem with Taurean as a player, and I can see him being a part of this team.”

The Athletic

[_s_t_u_r_t_]

This might be the most interesting deliberation in Hawks HQ right now, even above who to take at 8 and 10...

The Schlenk quote smacks of negotiations posturing to me... TP and his agent read that, and are left with the distinct impression that he's wanted because he brings something "every team is looking for," but then, it's what "I have no problem with Taurean" doesn't say that says a lot... it's not the same level of enthusiasm as saying "we're going to do anything we can to keep this guy."

The lack of any mention of any current negotiation on an extension... "will speak when the time comes," as-if they couldn't already be speaking... also is less than enthusiastic.

Then, there's what that says to other teams which might be most important... "we're not giving him away because he's what every team is looking for, and we can still see him being here."

I take all that to mean that I should be expecting for TP to be dealt on draft day... and make no mistake, I'm a TP fan, maybe among his biggest here as far as I know, so I have some serious reservations about that... particularly given that the one area of player acquisition where I feel Schlenk has a weakness is in doing trades.

Circling back to the initial assertion... the interesting deliberation, to me, would seem to be "what kind of value can we get back?" They have some sense based on the trade deadline discussions, no doubt.

[Jamaaliver]

TP2000 hitting the PR circuit ahead of extension negotiations.

Never heard of this program, but seems like a smart move for a really decent young man.

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

[lethalweapon3]

I often say that our Hawks may not have the league's best talents, but our players always seem to have the most compelling stories and life journeys.

Go TP!

~lw3

[Jamaaliver]

Yo, TP's agent and publicist deserve all the credit in the world.

The entire narrative around Taurean this summer has been nothing but positive. It's a great look heading into trade/extension season:

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

[jayu70]

Yo, TP's agent and publicist deserve all the credit in the world.

The entire narrative around Taurean this summer has been nothing but positive. It's a great look heading into trade/extension season:

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Prince had this camp last year, he also had it in Atlanta last year - my daughter went.

[Jamaaliver]

Prince had this camp last year, he also had it in Atlanta last year - my daughter went.

And that is great.

It just seems like these types of endeavors are getting more media attention and press this summer. A common (and understandable) tactic of his PR team.

He deserves all the credit in the world for doing this camp 4 years in a row.

And now he's getting a bit more publicity. Nothing wrong with his agent shining a spotlight on how great a person Taurean is and how inspirational his story his.

It's a literal Rags to Riches story.

[jayu70]

Prince had this camp last year, he also had it in Atlanta last year - my daughter went.

And that is great.

It just seems like these types of endeavors are getting more media attention and press this summer. A common (and understandable) tactic of his PR team.

He deserves all the credit in the world for doing this camp 4 years in a row.

And now he's getting a bit more publicity. Nothing wrong with his agent shining a spotlight on how great a person Taurean is and how inspirational his story his.

It's a literal Rags to Riches story.

He's been having the camp since 2017 and it has been publicized then and in 2018.
In 2018, around this time he wrote a piece for the Players Tribune about his rags to riches story.
Also how is the Hawks twitter posting about Pride month and showing TP good publicity by him and his agent?

So I don't see it as more publicity than usual.

[Jamaaliver]

Also how is the Hawks twitter posting about Pride month and showing TP good publicity by him and his agent?

So I don't see it as more publicity than usual.

Ummm...I was just referring to the FS1 interview he did last week.

And the local news story by KSAT in San Antonio.

Whenever news cameras show up for mundane events...it's usually because someone, somewhere made a call.
When modest talents get a national spotlight, it's usually because some PR rep booked him onto the show.

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

[tbhawksfan1]

I like TP, but I think he's nearing a development plateau. I don't think he'll get much better. I also think that the Hawks will bring in better wing/s in the next draft or two.

In a vacuum, I could keep him as solid depth / sometime starter, but I would definitely see what other teams offer.

What's his trade value? I see him as mid FRP value + or -

NOW we're talking!!!

I think combining him with (1.5 years of) Bazemore and (a few months of) Dedmon could really bring back some good value.

The most pressing thing about Taurean for me is that he isn't nearly good enough to consider for a max contract. But some other team will see him as a key cog worth overpaying in Restricted Free Agency in 2020. (Think Allen Crabbe, Otto Porter, THJ)

To prevent that possibility: we would need to extend him when he's eligible in summer 2019, or trade him before the 2020 trade deadline.

I'm extremely impressed. Truth is I stand by this. My point in our more recent debate about trading TP, was more a sort of rebuttle of those that seems to want to devalue him in potential trades

[_s_t_u_r_t_]

This might be the most interesting deliberation in Hawks HQ right now, even above who to take at 8 and 10...

The Schlenk quote smacks of negotiations posturing to me... TP and his agent read that, and are left with the distinct impression that he's wanted because he brings something "every team is looking for," but then, it's what "I have no problem with Taurean" doesn't say that says a lot... it's not the same level of enthusiasm as saying "we're going to do anything we can to keep this guy."

The lack of any mention of any current negotiation on an extension... "will speak when the time comes," as-if they couldn't already be speaking... also is less than enthusiastic.

Then, there's what that says to other teams which might be most important... "we're not giving him away because he's what every team is looking for, and we can still see him being here."

I take all that to mean that I should be expecting for TP to be dealt on draft day... and make no mistake, I'm a TP fan, maybe among his biggest here as far as I know, so I have some serious reservations about that... particularly given that the one area of player acquisition where I feel Schlenk has a weakness is in doing trades.

Circling back to the initial assertion... the interesting deliberation, to me, would seem to be "what kind of value can we get back?" They have some sense based on the trade deadline discussions, no doubt.

Like I said.

[Jamaaliver]

Taurean Prince happy to hear ‘golden response’ from Nets

The Hawks beat writer for Atlanta Journal-Constitution caught up with former Hawk Taurean Prince to talk how he’s adjusting to Brooklyn. Vivlemore says Prince was more comfortable in Mike Budenholzers’ (and Kenny Atkinson’s) system than he was last season under Lloyd Pierce. Prince doesn’t disagree.

“I’m glad to be back in a system that allows you to do your thing, as long as you stick to the guidelines defensively and what they are trying to accomplish,” Prince said. “This type of offense allows you to flourish as a basketball player.”

Indeed, the Nets expect him to flourish. They are reported high on the 25-year-old, who was after all, the 12th pick in the 2016 Draft. Prince has career averages of 11.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists in this 196 games. His career shooting average from three is 38 percent. His defensive skills were the best on the Hawks wing.

Nets Daily

Spoiler:

Prince admits to being caught off guard by the trade that sent him and a second-round pick to the Nets...It’s not news you necessarily want to receive while headed to the airport, but Prince looks forward to a “New start, new vibes” and new home for his family.

“I’ve been super blessed to even be a Hawk,” Prince said. “They are my family. They accepted me from the moment I stepped foot in Atlanta. I’ll only be thankful. I have only good things to say about the city, ownership, coaches that I’ve had, people that I’ve been around, relationships that I have there that I will forever have. I can’t wait to go back there and play.”

Prince said he likes the direction of the Hawks, especially the recent additions of rookies Cam Reddish and Hunter and the free-agent signing of Jabari Parker.