The upcoming NBA free agency period is going to be busy for the Bucks. At least five members of the 2024–25 roster will need new contracts, with three more possibly joining them if they decline their player options. The Brew Hoop team is previewing the market for each of those guys and outlining the decisions Milwaukee will need to make. Earlier this week, Van Fayaz covered Brook Lopez. Today, I’m talking about Taurean Prince.
**Taurean Prince, 6’6” wing, 31 years old**
Prince joined Milwaukee last summer via free agency on a one-year deal. As a seasoned veteran (Doc Rivers’ favorite type of player), he was sure to be a rotation piece, but he ended up being a fixture in the starting lineup. Prince opened 73 games and played 80 overall, an impressive display of ironmanship. He averaged 8.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 1.9 APG for the season, but it wasn’t his ability to produce statistically that earned him such a big role: it was his fit. As a sharp-shooting wing with good size, Prince is the exact type of player you want out there next to Giannis and Damian Lillard. He’s only shot below 37% from three twice in his career, and he netted a career-best 43.9% of his triples in 2024–25, which ranked third in the entire league. The Baylor product also gives you enough as a defender and a decision-maker to make him viable for significant regular season responsibility. His 1.0 steals per game this past season tied his career-high, and his 2.2 defensive win shares is the second-highest total of his career (via Basketball Reference).
Notice how I specified _regular season_ responsibility there? That’s because when the playoffs rolled around, Prince’s value dropped. In Milwaukee’s first round loss to Indiana, he averaged 1.2 PPG on 22.2% from three in a playoff career-low 12.2 minutes per game. By the end of the series, he was pushed almost completely out of the rotation. His lack of above-average skills outside of shooting made it tough to keep him on the court when his shot wasn’t falling, and he isn’t aggressive or feared enough as a shooter to command minutes no matter what. Gary Trent Jr. and AJ Green proved to be much better options for the Bucks when it came to winning time. Granted, overall history says Prince can be trusted in the postseason, but the landscape of the league has changed drastically in the last two or three years to the point where players like him are losing their shine.
**Role**
As just touched on, it’s not a sure thing that Prince can be a playoff rotation guy at this point in his career. He’s certainly not a playoff starter. However, unless his three-point shot magically disappears Kentavious Caldwell-Pope style, then he’s going to be someone a competitive team can use heavily in the regular season. If he comes back to Milwaukee, he’d ideally be slotted for 15–20 minutes per game off the pine. There is a world, though, where he starts a lot again next year if Gary Trent Jr. doesn’t return and Kyle Kuzma is relegated to a bench role. If the latter is the case, then a midseason upgrade, perhaps in the form of a trade or a leap from Andre Jackson Jr., would be needed. A lineup of AJ Green, Prince, Kuzma, Giannis, and Brook Lopez isn’t exactly a formidable one (Milwaukee didn’t use that five man combination even once last season, according to Cleaning the Glass).
**Potential Suitors**
No real rumors have spread yet detailing interest in Prince from the Bucks or from anyone else, so we’re left to speculate. As he’ll likely sign another minimum contract (more to come on that in a minute), any team could realistically bring the vet into the fold. Several teams that would be good fits include the Knicks, 76ers, Pistons, Magic, Nuggets, and Rockets. Houston and Orlando need any shooting they can get. Prince was born in Texas, making a union with H-Town feel even more possible. Denver and New York could use some more bench help as the NBA becomes more depth-oriented. Detroit may lose Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. this summer and Prince would replace some of the shooting they’d leave behind.
A younger team looking to take a step closer to competitiveness, like the Spurs or the Hornets, may also value Prince’s services.
**Potential Contract**
Prince was on a veteran minimum deal worth about $2.1m this past season, and after his playoff performance, he doesn’t seem set to get a raise. Milwaukee can offer him a raise of up to $3.6m (120% of his previous salary) this summer using his Non-Bird rights. A new minimum contract from the Bucks or any other team currently projects to be $3.3m. They or his new team would owe him $2.3m of his salary, and the league would pick up the remainder. If the Bucks wanted to give him more than the Non-Bird raise, they’d have to dip into their midlevel or biannual exception, and might need to outbid an offer from another team if they too use an exception. But overall, negotiating a deal with him should be pretty straightforward for the Bucks or for anyone else.
Do you want to see Taurean Prince back in Milwaukee next season? If so, what type of role would you give him? Drop your thoughts in the comments!