Timberwolves Rumors: Taurean Prince Agrees to 2-Year, $16M Contract Extension

Taurean Prince helped the Minnesota Timberwolves make the playoffs for just the second time since the 2003-04 season, and they are bringing him back for the upcoming campaign.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Prince and the Timberwolves agreed to terms Tuesday on a two-year, $16 million contract extension ahead of free agency.

It doesn't come as a surprise Prince decided to return considering he told reporters in April during the first-round playoff series Minnesota eventually lost to the Memphis Grizzlies, "I'm not worried about that. Honestly, me personally, I plan to return."

He also said he enjoyed the camaraderie of the team, noting "You don't get that [in the NBA]. I really haven't felt that since college. That's a big step."

Prince came to the Timberwolves ahead of the 2021-22 campaign as part of the trade that sent Ricky Rubio to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The 2016 first-round pick has played for the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Cavaliers and Timberwolves throughout his career and averaged double-digit scoring totals three straight seasons from 2017-18 through 2019-20.

While Prince wasn't that productive in his first year with Minnesota in part because it took him some time to establish a consistent spot in the rotation, he still averaged 7.3 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. Perhaps most importantly, he connected on 37.6 percent of his shots from three-point range as a matchup problem for opposing frontcourts.

That ability to space the floor was key when defenders focused on Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards.

Prince is still relatively young and seemed to grow more comfortable with the Timberwolves as the season progressed. He is familiar with the system and the team's go-to stars.

It's not the splashiest of moves, but it's one that should help Minnesota stay entrenched in the playoff conversation moving forward.