Tayshaun Prince is set to make another run next season and this time he could be of big help with reports that the 35-year-old forward has agreed to a one-year deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
It will mark a reunion between Prince and former coach Flip Saunders. Both were together with the Detroit Pistons from 2005-08 and Saunders used the former Kentucky standout extensively.
The former Kentucky standout played the most minutes during those years, amassing a total of 600 minutes. He was a consistent member of the NBA All-Defensive Second team throughout his tenure with the Pistons.
He eventually got traded to Memphis (Grizzlies) along with Austin Daye in a three-team trade involving the Toronto Raptors and the Pistons.
Prince signed a one-year deal with the Timberwolves on the NBA’s veteran minimum salary which is around $1.4 million per Yahoo Sports.
After that, however, Prince has suffered a serious dip in his NBA journey. The 13-year NBA veteran has struggled to recall the form that made him an X-factor with the Pistons. He had stints with the Boston Celtics, Memphis Grizzlies and then back to Detroit but was never the same Prince that many had feared during his peak years.
Now at 35, Prince is expected to join hands with another veteran – Kevin Garnett – in mentoring the young players in the Minnesota fold. That includes the likes of sophomore Andrew Wiggins, rookie Karl-Anthony Towns and maybe even Anthony Bennett if ever he does stay on with the team.
Prince entry does also bring up a matter concerning the team roster. With Prince’s entry, that would jack up the number of players in the fold to 17. With that in mind, the T-Wolves may have to let go of two players.
There is no word yet on who those could be though the names of Lorenzo Brown and Damjan Rudez could be likely candidates.
Bennett is also another name in the mix, someone who has already been rumored to be on the trading block. As of this writing, there are not teams who have shown interest in picking up Bennett, the 2013 top pick of the NBA Draft.
Prince could end up coming off the bench for the T-Wolves this coming season, the same role he had last year when he returned to the Pisons. Last season, Prince averaged 7.3 points and 4.2 rebounds in 23 games for the Pistons.
With the Pistons picking up Marcus Morris and Stanley Johnson, it was a foregone conclusion that Prince would not be returning to Detroit.