Latest news with #TaureanPrince
Forbes
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Milwaukee Bucks Small Forward Depth Chart After Free Agency
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 13: Taurean Prince #12 of the Milwaukee Bucks takes a three point shot ... More during a game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Fiserv Forum on March 13, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) The Milwaukee Bucks look set to piece things together at small forward this season, using a mix of different guys to cover the spot. They didn't go out and land a true starting-caliber small forward in free agency, but they've got options—and a few directions they can go in when setting their starting five. One of those possibilities is Kyle Kuzma. He's not included in this breakdown, but it's worth mentioning him. Kuzma's natural position is power forward, which is where he played for most of his career until Milwaukee picked him up at the trade deadline. The Bucks slid him to the three to create a jumbo-sized frontcourt, but the experiment didn't exactly pan out. For a variety of reasons, Kuzma struggled in Milwaukee. He averaged just 14.5 points—his lowest since 2020-21—and posted a drop in rebounds and assists as well. GM Jon Horst reportedly wants to get him back to the four, where he's most comfortable. Of course, that's tricky with Giannis Antetokounmpo locked in at that spot. Same goes for Gary Trent Jr. and AJ Green—neither are listed here, even though one of them might end up starting at small forward. They're both more natural fits at shooting guard, which is where we've got them slotted. So, with those guys set aside, here's a look at the small forwards currently in the mix post-free agency: Taurean Prince Prince started 73 games at the three for the Bucks last season and, all things considered, held his own. He put up 8.2 points a night and shot an impressive 43.9 percent from deep—right in line with what you'd expect from him. His floor-spacing is his main value. He gives Giannis and the other creators room to work by forcing defenders to stay honest. That said, if he puts the ball on the floor, things tend to go sideways quickly. He'll likely slide into a bench role this year. Horst wants him guarding both threes and fours off the pine, which probably suits where he's at in his career. After logging 27 minutes per game last season, expect that number to dip closer to 20 in 2025-26. Andre Jackson Jr. Jackson Jr. is fighting for his roster spot heading into camp. He's entering Year 3 of his rookie deal and has shown flashes here and there—but consistency, especially on offense, has been a major issue. He's a crazy athlete, but you'd never know it watching him on the offensive end. He almost refuses to look at the basket when he's got the ball in his hands, which has severely limited his effectiveness. The Bucks gave him a partial guarantee for next season but pushed the full guarantee date back to the start of the regular season. That gives them a little more time to see where he fits, especially with a full roster in play. If Milwaukee decides to make another roster move, Jackson Jr. is probably the odd man out. He just hasn't figured out how to harness that athleticism into an NBA-level game. Final Word The Bucks have bodies at small forward, but no clear answer. Prince is solid in a limited role, and Jackson Jr. is still a work in progress. Milwaukee might roll with a guard at the three—or stay flexible depending on matchups. Either way, this spot is still very much up for grabs.
New York Times
02-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
How Jordan Clarkson fits with Knicks
The Lakers appear to have their starting center. Meanwhile, the Knicks are nearing a deal for Tom Thibodeau's replacement. Ezra Shaw / Getty Images Brad Penner / Imagn Jordan Clarkson is a worthwhile low-risk, solid-reward signing for the Knicks, who were pressed for scoring off their bench during this past spring's playoff run. Clarkson has struggled over the past two seasons in Utah, but he should receive easier looks inside what was a top-five Knicks offense last season. If it works, the Knicks hit a home run, considering the likely low price. An affordable rotation player is especially valuable in the two-apron era. Clarkson can play alongside Miles "Deuce" McBride, who the Knicks consider a point guard defensively but use more like a small wing on offense, deploying him to space the court and cut instead of running the offense. Clarkson can guard off the ball but handle it more on the other end. If it doesn't work — if Clarkson continues to trend downward as he enters his mid-30s — there isn't much financial risk, and New York can move elsewhere without much of a bump. Congratulations to the Bucks on playing salary cap bingo today. They made moves on the margins with a veteran minimum contract, a biannual exception deal and a non-Bird free agent signing in the same day. The Bucks had no Bird rights on any of the three players reported to have new deals to re-up with the Bucks today — Taurean Prince, Gary Trent, Jr. and Kevin Porter, Jr. — yet re-signed all of them without using a cent of their nontaxpayer midlevel exception. Porter's deal is for the rarely used biannual exception, something only two of the league's 30 teams took advantage of a year ago. That deal is two years and will pay him the full biannual exception of $5,390,700 in 2025-26, with the maximum allowed 5-percent raise to $5,660,235 in 2026-27. Trent's deal is as a non-Bird free agent, which can be for up to a 20 percent raise on his old salary. However, because he was on a minimum deal, it's actually a 20 percent raise on his minimum for this year, which takes his number for hits season up to $3,697,100. With the maximum allowable 5 percent raise, he'll make $3,881,955 in 2026-27. Finally, Prince's deal is for the veteran minimum, but because it is for multiple seasons, it doesn't count for the cap-friendly $2.3 million like one-year vet minimum deals do. Instead, Prince is on the books at $3,303,770 for 2025-26 as a nine-year veteran, and for next year at an estimated $3.89 million if he picks up his player option. Milwaukee is still $12.7 million below the luxury tax line and $18.9 million below the first apron — where they are hard-capped due to Porter's contract — with at least two roster spots left to fill. The Bucks have their entire $14.1 million nontaxpayer midlevel exception remaining, as well as early Bird rights on restricted free agent guard Ryan Rollins. The Bucks could also create an additional roster spot and $2.2 million in room by waiving Chris Livingston's non-guaranteed deal, although that money would go right back to another minimum contract to fill the roster spot. Jesse Johnson / Imagn One of the primary reasons the Wolves chose big guys Naz Reid and Julius Randle over Nickeil Alexander-Walker was the depth behind him. They believe Terrence Shannon Jr., Jaylen Clark and Rob Dillingham are ready for more minutes in the backcourt and on the wing, and now coach Chris Finch has an extra 25.3 minutes per game to spread around. The most recent collective bargaining agreement forces those kinds of choices on teams. With little to no spending power for free agents, the Wolves are determined to run back most of last year's team to see if another year together will get them one step further. They will return nine of their top 10 players and are in the market for another ballhandler or a more traditional center behind Rudy Gobert, team and league sources said. They do have a $5.7 million taxpayer midlevel exception, but given how close they are to the second-apron threshold of $207.8 million, they will only use it if they think the player they get will make a significant impact on next season, those sources said. GO FURTHER Wolves lose Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luka Garza, retain Joe Ingles as NBA free agency opens With the Bucks' roster next season increasingly looking like "running it back minus Brook Lopez," that Pelicans draft-day trade with the Hawks to move up 10 spots to draft Derik Queen is looking even worse. The Pelicans surrendered an unprotected 2026 first-round pick that is the most favorable of their selection and Milwaukee's. In other words, the Pelicans could (somehow) be awesome next year and STILL hand over a lottery pick to Atlanta if the Bucks also miss the playoffs. Considering the Bucks' roster beyond Giannis Antetokounmpo, New Orleans better hope a) it fares far better than most expect in the deep West next season AND b) Milwaukee's star doesn't gets hurt or traded. Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images Gary Trent plans to re-sign with the Milwaukee Bucks on a two-year, $7.5 million deal with a player option for the second season, a league source confirmed. Trent came to Milwaukee last offseason on a minimum deal, hoping to prove himself as the Bucks' starting shooting guard. Things didn't work out like that, as an early season injury contributed to a shooting slump that saw him get moved out of the starting lineup after missing a few games. In his final 65 games, Trent averaged 11.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 25.8 minutes off the bench and knocked down 43.5 percent from the 3-point line. In the postseason, Trent became one of Giannis Anteotkounmpo's most trusted teammates. When coach Doc Rivers moved Trent into the starting lineup for Game 3 against the Indiana Pacers, Trent responded by scoring 37 points while knocking down 9-of-12 from behind the 3-point line. In a do-or-die Game 5, the 26-year-old shooting guard hit multiple clutch shots on his way to 33 points, but ultimately had the ball slip through his hands at the end of the game, which set up Tyrese Haliburton's first heroic shot of the postseason. Trent should be a good value for the Bucks next season as they try to figure out their path forward around Antetokounmpo. Matthew Stockman / Getty Images This is how you use your cap space in today's NBA. The Nets having Michael Porter Jr. on their rebuilding roster is a perfect fit. He's going to be a scorer to help dazzle fans on nights of bad team play. This Nets team is not trying to win basketball games. Brooklyn is just accumulating assets and trying to maximize its best chance at getting a superstar via the NBA draft lottery in the next two years. Now, the Nets will also have a unprotected 2032 first-round pick from Denver thanks to this trade. The Nets don't add any future money from this deal beyond how Cam Johnson's contract impacted them, so they're just eating up some of their existing cap space. And they're hoping that another pick in their treasure chest of draft assets will yield players or leverage in a future trade. Read more on why I gave the Nets an A for this trade. GO FURTHER Trade grades: Can Michael Porter Jr. help Nets' rebuilding efforts? It appears forward Guerschon Yabusele will not return to the Philadelphia 76ers next season, league sources tell The Athletic. Yabusele, 29, averaged 11 points per game last season. Jordan Clarkson isn't a perfect player, but the Knicks getting a microwave scorer of his level off waivers is a home run. Clarkson is a low-risk, high upside addition for a bench that doesn't have much shot creation. Vincent Carchietta / Imagn The Philadelphia 76ers are signing Trendon Watford to a 2 year deal worth 5.3 million, league sources tell The Athletic. ESPN was first to report a deal. Watford, 24, is a real versatile piece for the Sixers. The Swiss Army knife-type averaged 10.2 points per game for the Nets last season. Christopher Creveling / Imagn Jordan Clarkson intends to sign with the New York Knicks once he clears waivers, a league source said. The Utah Jazz bought out his contract earlier today. Clarkson, 33, has long held an interest in living in New York and playing at the Garden, with his buzzy, boundary-pushing style sense (think Willis Reed in a fur coat). The former Sixth Man of the Year award winner averaged 16.2 points per game for the Jazz last season. He must clear waivers before the Knicks can sign him. Isaiah J. Downing / Imagn The Cam Johnson-Michael Porter Jr. trade is a massive win for the Nuggets from a roster-building standpoint. Porter was owed $78 million over the next two seasons, and Johnson is due $44 million in that same timeframe. For $17 million less per season, Johnson is a similar on-court fit to Porter. This deal takes the Nuggets far away from the dreaded second apron and now gives them a lot of breathing room for fleshing out what was a top-heavy roster in the last two seasons. Johnson is one of the NBA's best 3-point shooters and gives the Nuggets plenty of versatility at either forward position. He's a career 39.2-percent 3-point shooter on more than 2,000 attempts. The 29-year-old is as consistent and reliable as it gets when it comes to being an effective off-ball shooter. He's been this kind of shooter playing on a Brooklyn team that didn't have stars to create gravity for him, leaving him to provide that gravity for the team. That won't be the case with Denver. Why? He's on Nikola Jokić's team now. Read more on why I gave Denver an A- for this deal. GO FURTHER Trade grades: Can Michael Porter Jr. help Nets' rebuilding efforts? Taurean Prince spent much of last season in the Bucks' starting lineup. He averaged 8.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1 steal in 27.1 minutes per game and knocked down 43.9 percent from behind the 3-point line on 4.2 attempts per game. After the All-Star break, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers assigned him the toughest defensive assignments, and Prince did his best to make it work. He was durable and dependable for the Bucks this past season, but saw his time on the floor shrink during the postseason, never seeing above 20 minutes in any of the Bucks' five first-round games against the Indiana Pacers and playing less than five minutes in two of the three games. He will return to the Bucks. Mitchell Leff / Getty Images Taurean Prince will return to the Milwaukee Bucks on a two-year, $7.1 million contract, a league source said. The second year is a player option. Prince, 31, averaged 8.2 points per game while making nearly 44 percent of his 3s. Ken Blaze / Imagn The Cavaliers' original offseason plan had them re-signing Sam Merrill AND Ty Jerome, to similar contracts, two league sources said. While Merrill was thrilled to accept a four-year, $38 million deal, those sources said, Jerome sought more. The Cavs, already with one of the most expensive rosters in the league, chose to trade for Lonzo Ball instead of paying Jerome above market value — and they were right about that. Jerome ended up with a three-year, $28 million deal with the Grizzlies, a difference of about $200,000. The Charlotte Hornets will sign Mason Plumlee to a one-year minimum deal, league sources told The Athletic. Alika Jenner / Getty Images PORTLAND, Ore. — Inside the office of Chauncey Billups, in bold letters, reads a saying the Portland coach holds dear, an adage that he wants to be at the root of the Trail Blazers' rebuild. 'You can have bad plays,'' the maxim reads, 'but not bad ways.' The quote is from Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown, whom Billups played for in Detroit and now considers a mentor. It's a quote that goes a long way in explaining why the Trail Blazers parted ways with center Deandre Ayton, whom they waived after negotiating a contract buyout, this week. Read more on how Ayton wore out his welcome in Portland. GO FURTHER Deandre Ayton accepts Trail Blazers contract buyout, will become free agent: Sources Petre Thomas / Imagn Free agent guard Luke Kennard will sign a one-year, $11 million deal with the Atlanta Hawks, a league source confirmed. He will join Nickeil Alexander-Walker as a new acquisition in Atlanta's backcourt. Page 2
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Damian Lillard's Feelings Revealed After Being Waived by Bucks
Damian Lillard's Feelings Revealed After Being Waived by Bucks originally appeared on Athlon Sports. On Tuesday, the Milwaukee Bucks officially waived Damian Lillard, stretching the remaining $113 million of his contract over five years. Advertisement This move creates significant cap space, $30 million, for the franchise to complete its blockbuster signing of four‑year, $107 million free-agent center Myles Turner. Following the announcement, insider Chris Haynes reported that Giannis Antetokounmpo was unhappy with how the decision unfolded. Sources say he was particularly upset with the handling of the situation. Despite the abrupt nature of his release, Lillard responded with relief. "League sources say Lillard is elated with this decision, as it puts him in the kind of basketball-first position that few All-Star-level players, if any, have experienced in league history." The Athletic reported. Advertisement "In short, he'll be able to join the contending team of his choosing, either sometime soon or perhaps next summer, without the financial aspect of the decision playing a significant part." Milwaukee Bucks injured guard Damian Lillard against the Phoenix Suns.© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Bucks GM Jon Horst orchestrated a bold roster overhaul, waiving Lillard, using the minimum exception to sign Taurean Prince, and deploying room exceptions to bring in Gary Trent Jr. and Kevin Porter Jr., creating roughly $24 million in cap room for Turner. After Myles Turner move, the Bucks agreed upon a trade for Pat Connaughton and two future second-round picks (2031, 2032) to Charlotte in exchange for Serbian guard Vasilije Micic. Meanwhile, Jericho Sims has re-signed in Milwaukee on a two-year deal (with a player option in year two). Advertisement In limited minutes last season, Sims showcased impressive versatility on defense and emerged as a potent lob threat, something the Bucks haven't had enough of at the center position. Related: Bucks a 'Serious Candidate' to Land Ex-$132 Million Star After Losing Starter: Report This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
01-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Taurean Prince will re-sign with Bucks
NBA free agency is moving fast and furious, and teams are making major moves Leff / Getty Images Taurean Prince will return to the Milwaukee Bucks on a two-year, $7.1 million contract, a league source said. The second year is a player option. Prince, 31, averaged 8.2 points per game while making nearly 44 percent of his 3s. Ken Blaze / Imagn The Cavaliers' original offseason plan had them re-signing Sam Merrill AND Ty Jerome, to similar contracts, two league sources said. While Merrill was thrilled to accept a four-year, $38 million deal, those sources said, Jerome sought more. The Cavs, already with one of the most expensive rosters in the league, chose to trade for Lonzo Ball instead of paying Jerome above market value — and they were right about that. Jerome ended up with a three-year, $28 million deal with the Grizzlies, a difference of about $200,000. The Charlotte Hornets will sign Mason Plumlee to a one-year minimum deal, league sources told The Athletic. Alika Jenner / Getty Images PORTLAND, Ore. — Inside the office of Chauncey Billups, in bold letters, reads a saying the Portland coach holds dear, an adage that he wants to be at the root of the Trail Blazers' rebuild. 'You can have bad plays,'' the maxim reads, 'but not bad ways.' The quote is from Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown, whom Billups played for in Detroit and now considers a mentor. It's a quote that goes a long way in explaining why the Trail Blazers parted ways with center Deandre Ayton, whom they waived after negotiating a contract buyout, this week. Read more on how Ayton wore out his welcome in Portland. GO FURTHER Deandre Ayton accepts Trail Blazers contract buyout, will become free agent: Sources Petre Thomas / Imagn Free agent guard Luke Kennard will sign a one-year, $11 million deal with the Atlanta Hawks, a league source confirmed. He will join Nickeil Alexander-Walker as a new acquisition in Atlanta's backcourt. Signing American players from overseas leagues has really dried up as an acquisition mechanism over the past decade, since virtually everyone who is any good will stick around in the G League now. However, Phoenix signee Nigel Hayes-Davis, 30, could be an exception. He wasn't an NBA player when he came out of Wisconsin, but the combo forward has dramatically improved his shooting since then and become arguably the best expat player in Europe. The Suns have him on a low-risk minimum deal and he might be an immediate rotation player. ALTAN GOCHER / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images The Phoenix Suns and Nigel Hayes-Davis are in agreement on a guaranteed one-year deal, a league source confirms. A former Wisconsin standout, Hayes-Davis, 30, returns to NBA after a successful run in Europe, where he was a 2025 Euroleague champion and Finals MVP. Brook Lopez to the Clippers is a big get. Last year was a mess in Milwaukee because a lot of their perimeter players struggled to contain dribble penetration or execute the drop scheme in how they fought over screens. Pair Lopez's minutes with Kris Dunn/Derrick Jones Jr, and you got a stew going. The Celtics have long been fans of Luka Garza. They made inquiries with the Wolves before. The Boston Celtics intend to sign center Luka Garza to a two-year, $5.5 million contract, a league source said. Garza has been productive during limited minutes early in his career, though he's been more of a 3-point taker than a 3-point maker so far. He's not necessarily known for his defense, but has put in a lot of work on his body since entering the NBA and can really hit the offensive glass D'Angelo Russell's two-year deal for the $5.9 million taxpayer midlevel exception leaves Dallas $3.5 million below the second apron with 14 roster spots filled. Presuming the Mavs waive the non-guaranteed deal of Brandon Williams, Dallas still has room to accommodate another veteran guard on a minimum deal. Given the BORD$ value of $23.9 million on Russell, this is tremendous value for Dallas on what is essentially a band-aid starter until Kyrie Irving returns from his torn ACL. If Trae Young can win big, it would be on a team like this. Athleticism and length everywhere around him. A big-time rim protector in Kristaps Porziņģis behind him. The Hawks look ready to take a big step forward. Nice offseason for them so far. There are few players I've ever been happier for to get the bag than Nickeil Alexander-Walker. He came to the Wolves as a throw-in, busted his ass and turned himself into a critical piece of a real winner. Through it all, I rarely run into a more genuine person in this league. Good for him. The Hawks are loaded with long, athletic types on the perimeter now, especially after adding Nickeil Alexander-Walker via sign-and-trade. He joins a crew that includes Jalen Johnson, Zaccharie Risacher and Dyson Daniels, with Kristaps Porziņģis and Onyeka Okongwu protecting the backline. If you have Trae Young at the top of your defense, this is the type of team you want to build around him. And if Atlanta ever decides to move on from Young, it has a bunch of malleable players who fit various styles. If the Hawks stay healthy this season, they have a chance to make noise in the East. Tyus Jones is exactly the right guy at exactly the right price for Orlando. They needed a true point guard who could push the pace a little and wasn't thirsty on the ball, but couldn't go too deep into the nontaxpayer midlevel exception because of the first apron limit. If the Magic sign second-rounder Noah Penda to a rookie minimum deal and re-sign Moe Wagner to another minimum, they'll start the year about $3 million over the tax line with 14 players on the roster. The second rounder Atlanta is sending Minnesota for Nickeil Alexander-Walker is a 2027 one via Cleveland, according to a team source. China Wong / Getty Images For those wondering which Eastern Conference team would see an opportunity among all the injuries surrounding them, it is the Atlanta Hawks. They took a one-year gamble on Kristaps Porziņģis and basically exchanged Caris LeVert for Nickeil Alexander-Walker, a player who better fits what they are trying to do. As noted by John Hollinger, they still have some money they could spend if the right opportunity comes along. But for now, when added to the trade they pulled off with the New Orleans Pelicans on draft night, they are having one of the best offseasons in the league right now (non-Houston division). The Timberwolves will receive a future second-round pick and cash from the Hawks in a Nickeil Alexander-Walker sign-and-trade, according to a team source. Page 2
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bucks Reportedly Retain 2x NBA Cup Champion
Bucks Reportedly Retain 2x NBA Cup Champion originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Milwaukee Bucks are still looking to contend for the NBA championship in the 2025-26 season. Despite having an injured star in Damian Lillard, the Bucks are hopeful to build a competitive group around Giannis Antetokounmpo. Advertisement Before the start of free agency, the Bucks signed Bobby Portis, Jr. to a three-year, $44 million contract after the center declined his $13.4 million player option. Milwaukee's move to keep Portis on a team-friendly contract could give them more leeway to pursue additional help. On Monday, however, they lost center Brook Lopez to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers signed Lopez to a two-year, $18 million deal. The one-time All-Star was an integral part of the Bucks' success, especially in their 2021 title run. Fortunately for Milwaukee, they were able to retain another player. Taurean Prince agreed on a deal that will keep him with the Milwaukee Yamashita-Imagn Images Taurean Prince agreed to a two-year, $7.1 million contract to stay in Milwaukee, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Last season, the forward was productive, appearing in 80 games. Prince averaged 8.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists on 43.9% shooting from deep. Advertisement Charania revealed that Prince's new deal has a player option in the second year. "Bucks officials negotiated the deal with Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul tonight. There is a player option in the second season as well, sources said," the NBA insider posted. Prince is a solid 3-and-D player who has made a significant impact over the past two seasons. He was part of the Los Angeles Lakers team that won the 2023 NBA Cup. In the previous season, the 6-foot-6 forward was also a part of the Bucks during their 2024 NBA Cup win. Related: Clippers Agree to Two-Year Deal With Former NBA All-Star This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
