Grading the recent rookie extension deals handed out across NBA
6. Taurean Prince: Two years, $29 million
Lost in the arrival of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, Taurean Prince became a Brooklyn Net in the cap-opening deal that made those blockbuster signings even possible.
Months later, as other draft classmates stole the headlines, Prince was overshadowed once again, signing an extension of his own for $29 million over two years according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Previously with the Atlanta Hawks, Prince is everything a team could want in a complementary forward. His 6’7” frame helps him guard multiple positions and he shot a career-high 39.0 percent from distance last season on 5.7 attempts per game.
In four preseason games, Prince averaged a team-high 16.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 22.4 minutes per game while shooting 63.2 percent (24-of-38) from the field and a team-best 69.6 percent (16-of-23) from 3-point range.
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) October 21, 2019
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Kyrie and KD — upon return — are two of the best in the game with the ball in their hands. Caris LeVert is a burgeoning star who continues to develop his off-the-dribble game.
The Nets don’t need someone to take the ball out of the hands of their unofficial Big Three. They need someone to fill in the gaps around them at both ends, a job Prince seems qualified for.
With money tied up elsewhere, Brooklyn could only offer Prince so much, which could land him elsewhere upon hitting the free-agent market in three years. It also lines him up nicely with the organization’s current timeline.
For Prince, it’s a chance to show his stuff on a team in playoff contention that could be in pursuit of a championship as early as next year. For the Nets, it’s a team-friendly deal that provides the type of skill-set every team is on the lookout for these days.