Veteran NBA player Taurean Prince, a 12th overall pick in the 2016 draft, recently learned of the Minnesota Timberwolves' decision not to guarantee his $7.4 million contract for the upcoming 2023-2024 season in a rather unconventional way. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the news, which Prince seemingly discovered via social media.
Prince's reaction to the news was captured in a succinct tweet: "Sheesh, appreciate the heads up Woj." During his two seasons with the Timberwolves, Prince primarily served as a reserve player, averaging 9.1 points and 2.4 rebounds in 54 games during the 2022-2023 season.
Prince's NBA journey began with the Atlanta Hawks, where he spent three seasons before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets in 2019. A subsequent trade sent him to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2021, and he eventually landed with the Timberwolves later that year. While injuries, including a shoulder ailment last season, have posed challenges throughout his career, Prince notably played in all 82 games of the 2017-2018 season with the Hawks, achieving a career-high average of 14.1 points per game.
Now entering free agency, Prince is anticipated to attract interest from various teams. This situation echoes a similar experience for former Lakers coach Frank Vogel, who learned of his impending dismissal from the team via a Wojnarowski report before being officially let go in April 2022, despite leading the Lakers to a championship in 2020.
