Clippers Interested In Tayshaun Prince?

The Los Angeles Clippers, fresh off the extended All-Star break, are ready to start the second half of their season. However, with Blake Griffin still sidelined for awhile and Amar’e Stoudemire choosing to join the Dallas Mavericks instead of Los Angeles, the Clippers might be short handed to start their stretch run.

There is still the lingering possibility of Kevin Garnett Doc Rivers?” href=”http://hoopshabit.com/2015/02/12/kevin-garnett-reuniting-doc-rivers/” target=”_blank”>reuniting with his old coach, Doc Rivers, but there has not any word on that. However, we have heard of another interesting possibility.

According to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, Tayshaun Prince, currently of the Boston Celtics, might be on the Clippers’ radar.

"As the Boston Celtics continue working to include forward Tayshaun Prince in a trade package, the organization plans to be accommodating with him on a contract buyout after the trade deadline should no deal emerge, league sources told Yahoo Sports."

As a free agent, Prince could become the most coveted player on the market this month – with the Los Angeles Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers promising to be strong contenders, league sources told Yahoo Sports. Prince is a native of Los Angeles.

If the Celtics cannot trade Prince before the NBA trade deadline on Thursday, then most likely Prince will be bought out by the Celtics and will become a free agent. The Clippers are one of the teams that will be calling his agent should that happen.

The big question is, at 34 years old, can Prince still help a contender?

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Generated 2/18/2015.

Prince may not be the player he once was, but he is still a good spot up shooter and a long, rangy defender. He has shot almost 37 percent from three-point range for his career, and is shooting close to 49 percent from behind the arc this season. He can still shoot, and is having a pretty good year for someone at this stage in his career.

Prince is not going to be creating his own shot or creating shots for other players, but he can space the floor and provide a calm, veteran presence. His defense has worsened over the back end of his tenure in the NBA, but at one time he was a plus defender. He still can be, in spurts, and in the right matchup.

Prince is big for a small forward, and it can be hard to shoot over his outstretched arms.

Quicker players can get around him, but with DeAndre Jordan protecting the rim, that should not be a major issue. Overall, Prince would seem to fit well onto this team. He can be a quality back-up for Matt Barnes, and would be ready to contribute in any playoff game where Barnes melts down.

Prince has never been an emotional player, and has solid playoff experience. He has never been a locker room issue, and seems to be one of those guys who can seamlessly fit into any situation. Overall, Prince is a very low risk player who would be great coming off the bench.

Even if Prince gets traded before the deadline, there is a chance that he would still be bought out by his new team. The Celtics are very active in discussions right now, so its tough to say what eventually happens with Prince.

Regardless, the Los Angeles Clippers need to monitor the buyout market closely and be ready to pounce when quality veterans become available. They have already lost out on Stoudemire, they cannot afford to lose out on anyone else.

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