5:01pm: The Timberwolves have officially waived Prince, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
4:08pm: The Timberwolves have decided not to guarantee Taurean Prince‘s $7,455,000 salary for the 2023/24 season, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
Because Prince has a non-guaranteed contract rather than an option, he’ll have to be waived, meaning Minnesota won’t retain any form of Bird rights on him. While Prince could technically be claimed by a team with cap room or a trade exception big enough to cover his salary, he’ll likely pass through waivers and become an unrestricted free agent.
The Wolves’ decision is a little surprising, given that Prince has been a reliable rotation piece in Minnesota for the last two years. In 123 games since the start of the 2021/22 season, he has averaged 8.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 19.3 minutes per night, with a solid shooting line of .460/.378/.799.
Still, if the Wolves hope to re-sign restricted free agent Nickeil Alexander-Walker and use a significant portion of their mid-level exception, it would have been virtually impossible to retain Prince and avoid becoming a taxpayer. Waiving him will give the team more wiggle room to negotiate with Alexander-Walker and use the MLE without surpassing the luxury tax threshold.
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), Minnesota now projects to be about $15.6MM below the tax line with four roster spots to fill, so the club still isn’t in position to use its full $12.4MM mid-level without further cost-cutting.
Prince, 29, figures to appeal to teams looking for depth on the wing this summer. A decision on his 2023/24 salary was due today, as our list of early guarantee dates shows.
Mavericks better try to sign him or warriors. Dumb move by T wolves
Matt Ishbia Needs To Get This Guy ☀️
No way they can afford it. They’re over the 2nd apron or will be when they fill out the roster. They can’t pay him even the TMLE, and he’ll likely get more than that. Certainly not taking minimum, which is all PHX has to offer unless they dump Ayton on a team with cap room.
Phx should be calling dues that want another shot at the league or are just trying to stay in the league. Boogie, Tyreke Evans, OJ Mayo?, Myers Leonard, Dragic, Zeller, Boban, Dedmon, Dieng, JTA, Kemba, Tragic Johnson (Lance Stephenson), Beasley, Brandon Knight, LMA.
Celtics, vet min.
Surely he gets more than the minimum.
13 million last year.
China Bound
You do know how many roster spots there are in the league right?
Two seasons ago, he shot 41% from the arc with the Cavaliers in 29 games. Cleveland should grab him. He would be a good back of the rotation bench player.
Cleveland could start Prince on the wing. He is lethal from deep and could alternate with Okoro so we don’t have to rush Bates. Prince is Osman but with better defense. To be fair Osman is better at rebounding & passing but attrocious on defense.
Timberpuppies need the roster space for signing more Centers so they can put their newest roster brainstorm into practice by playing
FIVE CENTERS AT THE SAME TIME !!
Cleveland did pretty well starting 3 centers 2 years back. That is until one of them got hurt.
They want to make room for Dillon Brooks, Joshua Primo and Miles Bridges, so they can too last year’s train wreck.
A bit unfair to Brooks. Though the other two end up in the league for sure
You mean Brooks should have another shot and the other two shouldn’t. Yes
can he sign for the vet minimum now with any team?
As soon as clears waivers he is free agent and can sign fir whatever he can get!
So he can take a vet min deal to join a real contender or sign with another team for some real money, although I haven’t seen any speculation on what he could command.
Jazz might pick him up. Then again rockets have lots of cap. He going to get picked up.
This is the kind of waived vet that contenders/elite teams should be tampering for.
Taurean Prince learned of this news the same way we did. From Woj on twitter.