Los Angeles Lakers newcomer Taurean Prince appears to already be throwing some shade at Dillon Brooks on social media.
Brooks, who agreed to a four-year, $80 million deal with the Houston Rockets in free agency, has become an enemy of the Lakers after his comments about the team during the playoffs in the 2022-23 season.
The former Memphis Grizzlies wing called Lakers superstar LeBron James “old” during the first round of the playoffs in the 2022-23 campaign. James and the Lakers responded by eliminating the No. 2-seeded Grizzlies in just six games.
Prince liked a tweet that took a shot at Brooks’ new contract.
Prince, who spent the 2022-23 season with the Minnesota Timberwolves, agreed to join the Lakers on a one-year, $4.5 million deal this offseason.
He’s a solid pickup for a Los Angeles team that really improved its wing depth this offseason. The Lakers brought back Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves, and they also agreed to terms with Cam Reddish.
It appears Los Angeles is loading up on wings who can shoot the ball and defend well (Reddish and Prince) to make a run at an NBA title in the 2023-24 season.
Prince is a former first-round pick from the 2016 NBA Draft. During the 2022-23 season, he averaged 9.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 46.7 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from beyond the arc.
He should help fill the void left by the loss of Malik Beasley, who had his team option for the 2023-24 season declined. Prince comes at a much cheaper price than Beasley, who had fallen out of the Lakers’ rotation in the playoffs in the 2022-23 season.
It’s possible Prince is shocked that Brooks received such a big deal this offseason compared to him, or the new Laker is simply endearing himself to his new teammates.
Prince should find a solid role on the wing, but he will certainly have some competition for minutes as well.
After making the Western Conference Finals in the 2022-23 season, the Lakers are looking to do everything they can to make a run at a title with James still under contract. The four-time champion has a player option for the 2024-25 season, so it’s possible that the 2023-24 season could be his last with the Lakers if he decides to opt out or retire.
