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Taurean Prince

Taurean Prince Unavailable For First Play-In Game

April 12th, 2022 at 6:58pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Timberwolves reserve forward Taurean Prince will miss Minnesota’s play-in game on Tuesday against the Clippers, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link). Prince is struggling with right knee inflammation.

In 69 regular season games, Prince averaged 7.3 PPG and 2.5 RPG across 17.1 MPG during his first year with the Timberwolves. The 28-year-old boasts shooting splits of .454/.376/.756 this year. In the absence of Prince, 6’9″ power forward Jaden McDaniels may see an uptick in his minutes off Minnesota’s bench.

Sporting a 46-36 regular season record, the Timberwolves enter the play-in tournament as the No. 7 seed and will be fighting L.A. for the right to play the second-seeded Grizzlies in the first round of the 2022 NBA playoffs. The loser of tonight’s meeting will play the victor of tomorrow’s play-in game between the Pelicans and Spurs for the West’s eighth seed.

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Taurean Prince Fined $15K By NBA

March 27th, 2022 at 3:32pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The NBA has announced (via Twitter) that it is penalizing Timberwolves backup power forward Taurean Prince to the tune of $15K for “making an obscene gesture” during the third quarter of the club’s 116-95 victory over the Mavericks on Friday.

Prince got into an altercation with Dallas All-Star guard Luka Doncic, resulting in both players being assessed technical fouls, per Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). The win was big for the Timberwolves, who trail the Mavericks by just 2.5 games for the fifth seed in the Western Conference. Minnesota is currently the No. 7 seed.

The 6’7″ Prince is averaging 7.2 PPG and 2.5 RPG across 16.7 MPG in a largely reserve role for an upstart Minnesota club. He boasts shooting splits of .458/.380/.764 in his first season with the team. A 2022 unrestricted free agent, Prince is in the last year of a two-season, $25.3MM deal he signed with the Nets in 2020.

Sporting a 43-32 record, Minnesota is in a good position to make its first postseason appearance since 2018, largely behind the play of All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns and second-year shooting guard Anthony Edwards. Prince has value around the league as a switchable veteran forward with shooting prowess, and could very well opt to sign the best possible deal for himself rather than sticking around in Minnesota next season.

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Wolves Notes: Beverley, Finch, Prince, Towns

March 20th, 2022 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves are starting to look like serious contenders in the West, winning 10 of their last 11 to move within a half-game of escaping the play-in tournament. Part of the success lies in a pair of new attitudes, from the fiery Patrick Beverley, who was acquired in an offseason trade, to the more relaxed Chris Finch, who is in his first full season as Minnesota’s head coach.

Beverley’s influence was evident in Saturday’s win over the Bucks, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. When Serge Ibaka and Taurean Prince had a brief scuffle early in the game, Beverley ran from across the court to shove Ibaka. George Hill shoved Beverley in return, and although they were both ejected, it set the tone for a Wolves team that refused to back down from the defending champions.

“I was telling (Jarred Vanderbilt) at the half, I was like, ‘That gave me a different kind of boost,’” Anthony Edwards said.

Finch, who was brought in as head coach 13 months ago, has adopted a philosophy he learned from Rick Adelman to avoid trying to control everything that happens. He ‘s being careful not to discourage a young team that’s learning how to assert itself.

“We have a lot of strong personalities, a lot of outgoing guys,” Finch said. “Just try to let them be themselves. They’re young. They’re excitable. They like each other. They root for each other. Don’t want to dampen their spirits too much.”

There’s more from Minnesota:

  • Prince has been a steady contributor since the injury to Jaden McDaniels, Krawczynski adds. His willingness to accept a reduced role for much of the season is part of being a team leader. “Two or three years ago, I would’ve said I wanted to be there (with the starting lineup),” Prince said. “Now, I’m just trying to play basketball. There’s been days when I came off the bench and still played 25 or 30 minutes and days I’ve played 15. It’s part of being a pro.”
  • Karl-Anthony Towns isn’t just putting up impressive stats, he’s making the difference between winning and losing for the first time since arriving in Minnesota, contends Chip Scoggins of The Star Tribune. “It feels like I’m playing the best basketball of my career and it’s leading to great wins,” Towns said. “The reason why I’m finding myself playing some of the best basketball of my career is because I have some of the best teammates I’ve ever had.”
  • Towns, who was listed as questionable for the Milwaukee game with a right forearm contusion, didn’t think he would be able to play when he woke up Saturday, tweets Dane Moore. Towns said he got “chopped” in Monday’s game against the Spurs and has been dealing with pain in the arm all week.
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Timberwolves, Suns Interested In Thaddeus Young

February 8th, 2022 at 7:26am CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves and Suns are among the teams that have expressed interest in trading for veteran Spurs forward Thaddeus Young, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Young, who was sent from the Bulls to the Spurs in the DeMar DeRozan sign-and-trade in the offseason, had a nice year in Chicago last season, averaging 12.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 4.3 APG in 68 games (24.3 MPG).

However, he was essentially just a salary-matching placeholder in that DeRozan deal and hasn’t been used much in San Antonio this season. His averages of 6.1 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 14.2 MPG in 26 games are career lows.

Still, the Spurs are hopeful they’ll be able to find a trade partner willing to give up at least one draft pick for Young, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, who hears that San Antonio and Minnesota have discussed a deal that would feature Taurean Prince. Scotto has heard the same thing, writing that the two teams have had exploratory talks about a trade that would send Prince and a second-round pick to the Spurs for Young.

Phoenix, meanwhile, has had previous discussions with San Antonio about trading Dario Saric, Jalen Smith, and a second-round pick for Young, per Scotto. While Smith – like Prince – will be a free agent at season’s end, Saric has one more year left on his contract. If Saric is fully healthy next season following his 2021 ACL tear, that second guaranteed year may not be a problem for the Spurs, but it will certainly be an important factor to consider as they weigh their options.

If the Spurs don’t end up finding a deal they like for Young, the two sides would likely try to negotiate a buyout agreement, says Fischer.

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COVID-19 Roundup: Nets, Timberwolves, Cavaliers, Knicks, Wizards, Thunder

December 28th, 2021 at 12:52pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The NBA’s new guidelines regarding its health and safety protocols have resulted in several players being released from protocols this morning. The league and its players union agreed Monday to shorten the minimum required quarantine period for a vaccinated COVID-positive players and coaches from 10 days to six.

Here is the latest news on who has entered and cleared protocols today:

  • Nets stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are out of protocols, as is LaMarcus Aldridge, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN. While Durant and Aldridge may be ready for Thursday’s game, Irving is still working his way back into game condition and remains ineligible to play in home games because he hasn’t met New York City’s vaccine requirement.
  • Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince has cleared protocols and will rejoin the team, but won’t play tonight against the Knicks, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Minnesota also gets back Anthony Edwards and Naz Reid (Twitter link).
  • Cavaliers power forward Evan Mobley has cleared protocols and is set to reunite with the club today, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (via Twitter). Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com tweets that the Cavaliers hope to have Mobley play in tonight’s game against the Pelicans, but will put him through his pregame paces first to gauge his conditioning level.
  • Unfortunately, just as one of Cleveland’s best players recovers, another will be absent. Cavaliers guard Darius Garland, enjoying a nearly All-Star-level season with Cleveland, has entered the NBA’s coronavirus protocols, tweets Kelsey Russo of The Athletic.
  • Knicks rookie point guard guard Miles McBride has cleared protocols, the team has announced (via Twitter). New York adds that he has rejoined the team ahead of its game tonight against the Timberwolves.
  • Veteran Heat power forward Udonis Haslem has entered the league’s coronavirus protocols, writes Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. Heat point guard Kyle Lowry is also in protocols. Miami assistant coach Chris Quinn will return to the sidelines, Chiang adds.
  • Wizards forwards Rui Hachimura and Montrezl Harrell have entered the league’s COVID-19 protocols, joining six other Washington players, the team has announced (Twitter link). Hachimura has missed the Wizards’ entire season thus far due to personal reasons. Among the others, unvaccinated All-Star guard Bradley Beal is still in protocols and Wallace reports that his status is “questionable” prior to the Wizards’ upcoming contest against the Heat tonight. Center Thomas Bryant, wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and guards Anthony Gill, Aaron Holiday and Raul Neto are still in protocols.
  • Thunder rookie guard Josh Giddey has entered the league’s health and safety protocols, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Head coach Mark Daigneault has also entered the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols, and will be replaced by assistant coach Mike Wilks starting with this evening’s contest against the Kings, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). Wilks, a former journeyman NBA guard, suited up for four games with the Thunder during the 2009/10 season, Joe Mussatto of the Oklahoman adds (Twitter link). Players Darius Bazley, Tre Mann, Aleksej Pokusevski, and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl remain in the protocols for Oklahoma City.
  • Keep track of all the players currently in COVID-19 protocols through out our daily tracker.

Arthur Hill contributed to this report.

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Wolves’ Edwards, Prince Placed In Health And Safety Protocols

December 17th, 2021 at 12:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The Wolves have confirmed Wojnarowski’s report and added that Taurean Prince has also been placed in the protocols (Twitter link).

Edwards played nearly 34 minutes for the Wolves in Denver on Wednesday night, scoring 38 points on 14-of-21 shooting. Prince hasn’t played in either of Minnesota’s last two games.

If Edwards and Prince tested positive for COVID-19, they’ll be out for the next 10 days or until they record two consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart. The team figures to test the rest of its roster now, so it’s possible more players could enter the protocols in the coming days.

Half of the league’s 30 teams now have at least one player in the health and safety protocols. The Wolves are the ninth team with multiple players in the protocols.

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Spurs Notes: Players’ Meeting, Landale, COVID Concerns, Walker

November 22nd, 2021 at 8:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Spurs held a players-only meeting in the locker room after last Thursday’s 25-point loss to the Timberwolves, forward Thaddeus Young informed Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “We took that butt whooping and we went back into the locker room and we talked for 20, 30 minutes, the whole team,” Young said. “Everyone voiced their issues and their points.”

Second-year lottery pick Devin Vassell was among those who spoke most eloquently.

“He basically said, ‘Come on. Let’s try to figure this thing out. Let’s talk about it. Let’s put everything out there on the table,'” Young said.

Young viewed that as a positive sign for the team building around young players.

“That’s what you want from young guys. I could do it, but at the end of the day, you want these younger guys to start stepping up,” Young said (Twitter links here).

San Antonio had the weekend off and will face Phoenix on Monday.

We have more on the Spurs:

  • Big man Jock Landale has entered the reconditioning phase after being cleared from the league’s health and safety protocols, Orsborn tweets. Landale entered protocols approximately two weeks ago and hasn’t played since November 1.
  • Though the team is fully vaccinated and some have received booster shots, players are wary of contracting the virus and are taking more precautions on the road, forward Doug McDermott told Orsborn. “That (being vaccinated) still doesn’t mean anything because you still see positive tests. I think a good example was in the NFL,” McDermott said. “You are seeing a lot of positive cases there and I think the same will be true of us (in the NBA) around Thanksgiving.”
  • Guard Lonnie Walker IV holds no hard feelings toward Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince, Orsborn writes. Prince was ejected after being issued a Flagrant 2 foul for striking Walker in the chest and face during the second half as Walker drove to the basket. “It was fine,” Walker said. “I’ve gotten hit a lot worse than that. I don’t think it was on purpose. I’m real cool with Prince.”
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Timberwolves Notes: Prince, McDaniels, Vanderbilt, Beasley

November 20th, 2021 at 7:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

After spending some time out of the Timberwolves‘ rotation, Taurean Prince delivered his best game of the season on Thursday with 13 points and three rebounds in 15 minutes, writes Chris Hine of The Star-Tribune.

Prince, who was acquired from the Cavaliers in an offseason trade, has been putting up the worst numbers of his career since coming to Minnesota. He’s been particularly bad as a three-point shooter, connecting at just 19% before Thursday’s game. After sinking three of his five shots from long distance vs. San Antonio, Prince hopes the worst is over.

“Maybe a couple years ago I would’ve felt some type of way or acted a certain way,” he said of the reduced playing time. “But now I’m to the point where I just want to hoop. I’m with a great organization. We got something going here. … For me to feel any type of way about playing time right now would be — it’d be a little bit selfish on my behalf. Just try to stick together, see it all through and things will come together.”

There’s more from Minnesota:

  • Jaden McDaniels has struggled with foul trouble in his second NBA season, but apart from that he has been tremendous on defense, Hine adds in the same story. Coach Chris Finch rates him as an “A or A-minus” defender and says opponents are starting to take notice. “Every game pretty much we have some opponent coming over saying to our bench he can really guard,” Finch said. “(Suns guard) Chris Paul said it the other day: ‘Who is this guy? He can really guard.'”
  • Since moving into the starting lineup five games ago, Jarred Vanderbilt has provided an edge to the first unit, notes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Minnesota doesn’t have a traditional power forward, so the undersized Vanderbilt tries to fill the role by outworking opponents. “Very aware, very self-aware. Mature,” Finch said of Vanderbilt. “Understands who he is as a basketball player. That’s 90% of the battle of getting better in this league.”
  • Malik Beasley‘s shot has been off this season, but he has been able to hold onto his rotation spot by improving on defense, Krawczynski adds. Beasley credits studying film with helping him to better understand what opposing players are trying to do.
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Western Notes: Jazz, Payton II, Prince, Forrest

October 3rd, 2021 at 8:58pm CST by JD Shaw

Some newcomers on the Jazz made a strong impression during the team’s open practice on Saturday, as relayed by NBA.com. Utah welcomed thousands of fans to partake in a Q&A with head coach Quin Snyder and watch the final part of a team scrimmage via Zoom.

Players such as Hassan Whiteside, Eric Paschall and Jared Butler all played well. Whiteside joined the Jazz on a one-year, minimum deal this summer after spending last season with the Kings. He made the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team in 2016 and led the league in rebounding in 2017.

“His half roll, his short roll, obviously his floater,” Jazz star Donovan Mitchell said of Whiteside, specifically noting his game on the offensive end as well. “He’s done it against us, he’s done it for his whole career, I think that’s one thing that he brings.”

There’s more out of the Western Conference:

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Timberwolves Notes: Bolmaro, Prince, Vanderbilt, McLaughlin, Towns

September 17th, 2021 at 5:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Timberwolves rookie guard Leandro Bolmaro plays fearlessly, head coach Chris Finch told Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune and other media members this week. The 23rd pick in the draft, Bolmaro is expected to sign his rookie contract shortly.

“We love that about him. He competes, he’s bouncy, he just knows how to play basketball,” Finch said. “He moves well off the ball, fits in around all of the pieces we already have.”

We have more on the Timberwolves:

  • Forward Taurean Prince, acquired in the Ricky Rubio deal with Cleveland, believes he’ll play all three frontcourt positions at some point this season, Hine adds in the same story. “The ball moves around and like coach said it gives a lot of opportunity to everybody,” Prince said. “Those are the best systems because everyone likes to play off each other and it maximizes everyone’s potential as well.”
  • Jarred Vanderbilt officially signed his new three-year, $13.8MM contract on Wednesday. According to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link), the first-year salary is $4.05MM and he’ll get $4.374MM in 2022/23. Vanderbilt’s 2023/24 salary of $4.698MM is partially guaranteed at $300K. The contract also includes $162K in likely bonuses and $405K in unlikely bonuses, Smith adds.
  • Jordan McLaughlin also inked his new three-year, $6.5MM deal this week. The first-year salary will be $2MM, Smith tweets. In 2022/23, he’ll receive $2.16MM. His 2023/24 salary of $2.32MM is non-guaranteed. The contract includes $100K in unlikely bonuses in all three seasons.
  • A refocused Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the reasons for optimism in Minnesota, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes. The past two seasons for the team’s top big man have been marred by injuries and personal tragedy. He’s been working on his game diligently this summer, which bodes well for his continued development. Anthony Edwards’ encore after a powerful finish to his rookie campaign, plus the ability of Finch to have a full off-season to prepare the team for the upcoming season, should also entice fans. Krawczynski delves into a number of topics in the mailbag, including the possibility of Malik Beasley or D’Angelo Russell taking a sixth-man role.
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