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The Los Angeles Lakers have a few huge decisions to make this offseason; making sure that LeBron James remains with the team is their first order of business, while hiring the right head coach who would push the correct buttons to aid in the Lakers' quest in competing for a championship is another pressing priority. It's understandable if the free agency of Taurean Prince, who's quickly becoming a journeyman, won't be given too much importance.
Nonetheless, if it were up to Prince, he would prefer to stay with the Lakers even though he isn't exactly a fan favorite. At 30 years old, it looks as though Prince wants to settle down in LA.
“My family, the quality of life in Los Angeles is something that myself and my family haven’t had in probably three or four seasons,” Prince told Trevor Lane of Lakers Nation. “So to stay here would be definitely number one. If not that, then I mean, wherever the dominoes fall and wherever it’s best, that’s where I’ll be. But I for sure want to be a Laker, 100%.”
Stability isn't something that Taurean Prince is too familiar with, as the longest he has stayed with a team is three years, and it's with the team that traded for him on draft night in 2016. Prince has bounced around with the Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Minnesota Timberwolves after the Atlanta Hawks traded him away in 2019.
It helps that the Lakers reside in Los Angeles; LA has always been an enticing place for veterans to spend the latter half of their careers in. Alas, it's unclear if the Lakers reciprocate Prince's sentiment. If Prince is willing to wait for the Lakers to settle their more pressing matters, then perhaps the team could bring him back, as he most likely wouldn't command much more than a minimum deal in free agency.
Taurean Prince's 2023-24 season with the Lakers was filled with ups and downs
To begin the 2023-24 season, it seemed as though the Lakers struck gold with their additions of Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish. Prince, along with Reddish, gave the Purple and Gold some much needed size, shooting, and defense on the wing. Prince quickly endeared himself to head coach Darvin Ham, as Ham has experience coaching the veteran forward back in their days with the Hawks.
Alas, Prince's inconsistency made him a frustrating player to root for for Lakers fans. Moreover, his shot selection was very frustrating. And it wasn't as though Prince made up for it with stellar defensive work, as he was closer to average than he was to top-tier. It did not help matters that Prince was a subpar rebounder who compounded the Lakers' struggles on that facet of the game.
But at the end of the day, Prince is a viable floor-spacing option; he finished the 2023-24 season having shot 39.6 percent from deep, so it's not like he's undeserving of a roster spot, especially when the Lakers could use as many shooters as they can.
The Lakers signed Prince to a one-year, $4.5 million deal last season; teams that are in need of a shooting boost off the bench could do a lot worse than bringing the 30-year old forward in. It's unclear how big of a priority bringing Prince back is for the Lakers, however, so as willing as Prince is to return, only time will tell if he gets his wish.
