The Detroit Pistons of the early-to mid-2000s wouldn’t have reached the heights they reached without small forward Tayshaun Prince. He was a key piece to the Pistons’ 2004 championship team and combined with Richard Hamilton, Chauncey Billups, Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace to form a fantastic starting five. Prince spent last season with the Minnesota Timberwolves and is still hoping for another contract — and championship shot. Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated has more:
Perhaps in one of the coolest text message group chats around, former Detroit Pistons stars Chauncey Billups, Ben Wallace, Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace and Tayshaun Prince talk regularly. And one of the biggest topics of discussions as of late is about when Prince — the only one still playing — will sign with an NBA team.
“We have a group text,” Prince told The Undefeated. “Every time something happens or someone has something brewing or whatever, or someone does something, we always text … They check in and say, ‘Hey what’s going on?’ to me. ‘Have you talked to anybody? … Know where you stand as far as what you are trying to do.’
“Obviously, Rip, Rasheed, Ben and Chauncey at this point in their career, they were in a situation where they were trying to go to a contender or at least be in a playoff-type atmosphere, so at least when you go out there you have something to play for. They have an idea of what I am going through right now.”
Prince has earned a very respectful resume during his 14 NBA seasons, most notably with some storied Pistons teams that won a 2004 NBA championship, played in two NBA Finals and also played in six straight Eastern Conference finals.
Detroit selected the former University of Kentucky star with the 23rd overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft. The Pistons were so enamored with the slender 6-foot-9, 215-pounder that the small forward they passed on drafting in 2003 was Carmelo Anthony. Prince averaged 12.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 12 seasons with Detroit, including 23 games during the 2014-15 season. He also won a 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medal with USA Basketball while a member of the Pistons.
Prince said the highlight of his days with Detroit was the success and fun he had playing with Billups, Hamilton and both Wallaces.
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“Just the camaraderie I had with those guys was something special. It’s something I never had when I was not playing with them [in Detroit] or I was playing with different teams.”
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Prince signed to play for his former Pistons coach, Flip Saunders, with the Timberwolves on a one-year veteran’s minimum deal on Aug. 20, 2015. Saunders, then the Wolves’ head coach and team president, told Prince that if he wasn’t happy with his veteran mentor and defensive role on the young team, he would allow him to get a buyout before the trade deadline. Saunders, however, died of Hodgkin lymphoma on Oct. 25, 2015.
Prince averaged career lows of 5.4 points and 3.6 rebounds while being used primarily in a defensive and mentoring role with the Timberwolves last season. The young Timberwolves squad had a 29-53 record despite having the NBA Rookie of the Year for two straight seasons in Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns, respectively. The death of Saunders really hurt him, as well.
“With all due respect, it was an organization that was really trying to turn things around, and then all of a sudden with what happened to Flip, [interim head coach] Sam [Mitchell] had to take over,” Prince said. “We had a tough situation. Everything was kind of doomed from the start. The hardest part with that situation was playing with so many young guys, so many supertalented young guys, who just didn’t know how to play together.”
Prince told his longtime agent Bill Duffy that he would like to sign as a free agent this past offseason with a team that was at least competing for a playoff spot. While Prince said there has been interest, there have been no contract offers from any NBA teams. He’s not interested in playing overseas and is patiently waiting for an NBA offer to come soon.
Prince is now on the outside looking in during training camp and the preseason for the first time since entering the NBA in 2002. He said it’s odd not being in training camp enjoying “camaraderie and building the chemistry.” The good news is he has more time at the moment to spend with his wife and son.
“The hardest part about the wait is that there are a lot of teams out there that know what I bring to the game,” Prince said. “I know I have good leadership, and they know I’m a great locker room guy. Obviously, some of the assistant coaches that you’ve played for are dispersed around the league. A lot of them are accustomed to what I do and what I bring to teams …
“Now is the time where teams are checking out their roster with 18 or 19 guys. They are trying to see if some of these guys can make the roster. After all that settles, I hope to hopefully hear something.”
