Taurean Prince was being outscored by the Lakers by 2.7 points per 100 possessions when Prince was on the court, but Darvin Ham continued to start him for 49 games and gave him more minutes, which infuriated the team’s supporters. Now that Ham has left, he is returning to Milwaukee to work as Doc Rivers’ assistant.
Prince is accompanying him; according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the veteran forward has accepted a contract with the Bucks.
Both of these are veteran minimum deals, as that’s what Milwaukee can offer.
While Lakers fans might be laughing about Prince, this is actually a great signing for the Bucks. At the minimum and in a 20-minute-per-night role off the bench, Prince is a fantastic pickup. He averaged 8.9 points per game last season for the Lakers and shot 39.6% from three, which was one of the reasons Ham stuck with him as Los Angeles needed the floor spacing.
Wright is similarly valuable. He is a solid rotational combo guard who shot 36.8% from three last season and is a quality defender known for his ability to deflect passes. Where Wright fits in the rotation remains to be seen, but he could play crucial minutes in games against elite guards from other teams. His on-ball defense, combined with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez protecting the paint, could be very effective.
Milwaukee hasn’t been making big splashes, but the bet is that year two of the Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard partnership—with an experienced coach from the start and hopefully good health—can vault them back into the upper echelon of the East. To achieve that, solid role players are required, and the combo of Prince and Wright can fulfill that need.
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