Tayshaun Prince Should Only Be A Last Resort Signing For Portland Trail Blazers
By Brian Brennan
@b2brennan
Joe Murphy – Getty Images
Rumors have come out about Tayshaun Prince being bought out by the Boston Celtics, with the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers in contention to sign him for the rest of the season. I do not believe the Trail Blazers should consider signing Prince unless it is a last-minute desperation move.
Prince makes $7.7 million but is an expiring contract, so the Celtics are eager to push him out the door and make way for younger players. I can’t imagine Prince would argue since he only arrived in the Jeff Green trade from the Memphis Grizzlies, and I’m sure Prince would rather be on a playoff contender than the lowly Celtics.
The reason why I don’t believe the Trail Blazers should consider Prince is because he is merely a shell of his former self, and I doubt he would help the team in a big way. Prince has never been a great scorer, but he hasn’t eclipsed over 10 PPG since his days with the Detroit Pistons. He can still defend and is an NBA champion, but there are other players on the market with that ability.
Two other players who come to mind are Wilson Chandler and David West. Chandler and West both would provide better scoring and rebounding than Prince. Chandler is a serviceable defender also which makes him a better fit than Prince. The only downside to getting Chandler or West over Prince is the Trail Blazers would need to actually trade something, likely Thomas Robinson and a draft pick. With Prince being a buyout free agent, Portland could pick him up with only having to waive someone. Still, with Chandler and West on the market, I think grabbing one of them is a better option for a team wanting to contend.
I have no hate for Prince; I just don’t know if it’s worth signing him. He could definitely still provide veteran defense off the bench which would be helpful in the playoffs, but I don’t know how much room there is for that when you have Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum already who both play 34 minutes per game. Unless Portland is desperate, they should be looking at other free agents over Prince.
Brian Brennan is a Portland Trail Blazers writer for www.Rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter @b2brennan.
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