One of the reasons Lakers fans were unhappy with Darvin Ham last season was because he relied too heavily on Taurean Prince (the Lakers lost by 2.7 points per 100 possessions when Prince was on the court, but Ham gave Prince more playing time and started him in 49 games). Ham is now out and back in Milwaukee as an assistant on Doc Rivers’ staff.
Prince is coming with him, as the veteran forward has agreed to a deal with the Bucks, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Prince appeared in 78 games for the Lakers last season, averaging 8.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and shooting 39.6% from three-point range. He’s now expected to play a key role in the Bucks’ frontcourt. https://t.co/VsEoPP3cfB
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 3, 2024
Milwaukee has had a quiet offseason so far, but has made a couple of signings in the last 24 hours, including another addition to the roster, veteran wing Delon Wright, who spent last season with Miami.
Because those are both veteran minimum contracts and that’s what Milwaukee can offer.
Lakers fans laugh at Prince, but this is actually a great signing for the Bucks. Prince is a great addition, even though he will likely only play about 20 minutes a game off the bench. Last season, he averaged 8.9 points and 39.6% 3-point shooting for the Lakers (one of the reasons Ham kept him was because LA needed floor space).
Same goes for Wright. He’s a solid rotation combo guard who shot 36.8% from three-point range last season and is also a good defender known for his ability to deflect passes. It remains to be seen where Wright fits into the rotation, but he could have a key role in matchups against other teams’ elite guards. With the ball in hand, Wright could do well protecting the paint alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez.
Milwaukee hasn’t had much success, but the combination of Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard in Year 2, with just one experienced coach to start and (hopefully) healthy, could help them get back to the top of the East. To get to the top, they need some solid role players, and the Prince-Wright combination could do that.
