The Los Angeles Lakers were proactive in Day 1 of free agency, doing most of their heavy lifting by signing four new players.
One of the most, if not the most, prevalent need for the Lakers heading into this offseason was outside shooting. They were able to address that with their first signing of free agency, inking forward Taurean Prince on a one-year, $4.5 million contract.
Prince was originally drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in 2016 and has bounced around a little going to the Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves. Last season, Prince shot 38% from the 3-point line on 3.6 attempts while also being a solid wing defender.
The former No. 12 overall pick signed to a Lakers team looking to potentially make one last push at winning a championship, a situation that Prince hasn’t necessarily been a part of in his career. However, one of his goals for this upcoming season is to shoot 40% from downtown, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“I’ve been trying to shoot that, [40% from three], trust me, for the past three-four years. The 38 [percent], I’m landing on 38 right now, but I’m striving for 40-plus, for sure.”
Prince has been an above league-average shooter for most of his career, which will be vital to create the spacing that the stars, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, need to operate. In the thrilling Play-In Tournament game against the Lakers this past season, Prince was a thorn in L.A. side, drilling four out of seven 3-pointers.
In terms of where he falls in the rotation, Prince will be in the mix of being one of the first off the bench behind either James or Rui Hachimura, depending on who starts at the small forward spot. However, there will be competition with other forwards in Cam Reddish, Jarred Vanderbilt and Max Christie, who’s made some noise in Summer League so far. Due to Prince’s experience, shooting and defensive ability though, it’s hard to imagine he won’t be a key part of the rotation next season.
Gabe Vincent explains why he signed with Lakers in free agency
Gabe Vincent was also a Day 1 signing, inking a three-year, $33 million contract with the Lakers. With the playoff run that he had, almost the full mid-level exception was expected to be a market for the guard. However, he explained why he signed with the Lakers, who pursued him at the outset of free agency.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
