EXCLUSIVE: Taurean Prince Talks Darvin Ham, Free Agency, Lakers' Season recap And More

Lakers forward Taurean Prince joins Trevor Lane to talk about the Lakers' season, what went right and wrong, his free agency, the dismissal of Darvin Ham, his work with Crossover Culture and more
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[@geneward4438]

thanks for talking to us Taurean! Great job getting Taurean on the show Trevor.

[@patrickjane2024]

Next, Coach Darvin Ham interview😂

[@Nostalgia9478]

Id Mark out if he gets Bronny on the show Bronny= GOAT

[@basketballgod2791]

Prince scored all of our bench points against Denver every game. I would love to see him back in a Laker uniform on a minimum contract.

[@Nbafanla03]

Yeah 1 mil one year

[@Tashbop]

@@Nbafanla03 would prob be closer to 3 mil bc he’s been in the league for a while, but still def worth imo

[@MrPalpGaming]

Oh man if we got him for a vet min that’s a steal of a contract

[@Malapunteria]

He clearly deserve more than the minimum

[@Beeegeee2]

Last two home games he was playing hard 💯

[@user-rn9ge8pk5y]

Taurean is a good guy and I like his play. He kept his cool in the playoffs.

[@adriankowal5866]

Agreed

[@Miaholmes4952]

TP needs to be back. He did his part.

[@user-kj6sm1bs9k]

in what? doing nothing? defending nobody? hit a 5 3's in one game then none the next 4

[@KpR333]

😂😂😂

[@irldeancobias3196]

@@user-kj6sm1bs9k tbf, he was the only one reliable off the bench in the playoffs. with hist contract, i think he fared well.

[@user-kj6sm1bs9k]

@@irldeancobias3196 he started which was the issue

[@user-kj6sm1bs9k]

@@irldeancobias3196 the playoffs were atrocious...we lost going to him..davis get us up 20 taurean be doin step backs like he harden and missing em all...i like him attacking the rim but hes so out of control...bro looks n plays like an nfl corner

[@OJTHEKING13]

He watches the show!, Trevor is officially amazing.

[@haywood0457]

A lot players do, plenty of players have joined and chimed in before. This is exactly why I was commenting that this channel added a ton of fuel to all the dysfunctionality and trade rumors. THE PLAYERS PAY ATTENTION.

[@lukaszwojciechowski9070]

Well done Trev ,deserved recognition for sure , love the channel

[@patrickjane2024]

Lebron James definitely watches this regularly.

[@fyntc1796]

@@patrickjane2024 facts 😂

[@kylemahnken222]

Thanks to TP for coming on! Hope we can keep him

[@hunter-zp2hf]

Bring this dude back!!!! He has great in the playoffs and exceeded expectations by a mile!!

[@BertitoCreativeWorld]

He definitely play well and will be great on a small role

[@KpR333]

Hell noo

[@Deedlit007]

29.4% 3pt in postseason. That was great and exceeded your expectations by a mile???

[@deandrepage1048]

​@@Deedlit007 2-Guard Austin Reaves shot 26.9% for 3-pointers during this 1st Round Playoff elimination, is this a great 3-point shooting performance during the NBA Playoffs by Austin Reaves to you ???

[@ParallelNewsNetwork]

Prince was a rare light during a dark night for us during the playoffs. Never forget the work he put in against the nuggets.

[@hilamadventures4060]

So good of TP to join the show..I hope we fans appreciate the time he took from his off season to appear.. Thanks Trevor for making it possible.

[@Tashbop]

Wow, awesome guest! Would love to see Prince back in purple & gold!

[@jonjonfunomenon]

This is how you know this pod is in a league of its own, it’s super rare to be able to get a (technically, former) player from your team to interview. Definitely hope they can come to an agreement and bring back TP, super happy with what he brings to the table for us

[@jonathanbody3890]

Trevor I really enjoy your interview style. You ask a question, get out of the way and let the person respond. No gotcha or uncomfortable energy, really enjoyed this.

[@LakersNation]

I truly appreciate that. That’s the exact style that I was trying to go for.

[@jameshall7048]

@@LakersNationTHE GOAT🐐🐐🐐

[@jimmyjames24]

Trevor is a master at follow up questions, too. Such a great host, as always.

[@AndrewEvenstar]

I supported TP from day one and never hated on the dude. Our coach didn't put him in a place to succeed a lot of the time. And in the playoffs he was one of our fee bright spots

[@jameswells3218]

Hey Trevor! Thanks for having TP on your show it's nice to see Lakers players on the "LAKERS NATION SHOW"! It's nice to hear from there prospective!!👏👏🤙🤙✌️✌️👍👍💜💛💜💛🏀🏀🙏🙏

[@herrschaft2139]

taurean is a versatile and useful roleplayer. you need guys like him.

[@irwanchel]

Wow that's huge to invite the players to the show. Credit to prince to take it and the lakers nation channel

[@kosmique]

he was solid enough to bring back for sure.

[@theclaw63]

Bringing him back is a must. Thanks for joining the show Prince!

[@raushanminor970]

My boy Trevor is certifieddd

[@OGsideipNODIDDY]

Where ever Taurean goes I go straight up appreciate your hard work man keep up the good work

[@johnnychatman4480]

Great player came to games left everything on the floor💜💛💜💛💯

[@dws0828]

TP3 ! Great interview, Trev. Glad to see Taurean after he had such a great season

[@whodidit99]

We need more of these interviews, even if there's a commercial in the middle. Hope Prince can join the King for one more rodeo.

[@anassalmas3194]

love you prince❤❤❤❤

[@n.s.1289]

Wonderful interview with a current player!! Thanks for setting this up Trevor! Insightful and interesting 😊!

[@jenzix_]

woahhhhh TAUREAN PRINCE

[@DaPlop]

Thanks for your time and for answering all of the questions provided to you Taurean! Hope to see you back in the purple and gold. Great interview and video Trevor!

[@tkbaku3036]

This is GREAT Guest I have so many questions for him

[@AustinDouglas75]

This is Legend 💯🫡

[@The_Notorious_CRG]

Thank you Taurean! Hope you are back on the team next season...

[@lukemedina19]

Please keep this man around. Was a blessing for this team

[@alb1771]

Love this dude's energy and I do agree with him continuity is important if the Lakers wanna be a force in the West

[@gon3808]

Great interview Trevor, very smooth and organic. And very happy as well to see Taurean eager to stay in LA and return to the Lakers next season. As alway a pleasure to see your content, keep up with the good work,.

[@jusbertmeza4424]

Bring this dude back. He doesn’t need a ton of minutes to make an impact on the court that’s exactly what we need.

[@pabloramos420]

Prince balled out for us last year 💯 improved on driving the ball to the rim

[@tylerk4641]

I'd be 100% in him staying a Laker. He was solid for us off the bench and literally scored like every bench point in series vs nuggets. Plus he was like a 40% 3 point shooter. He just needs to be utilized right and put in a position to succeed when he is he plays well. Whoever the coach is they need to utilize him right.

[@jankarlo3798]

What's a King without the Prince! We gotta keep Taurean man lol

[@R33LMedia]

Yessir good interview. Hopefully can keep TP

[@justinabraham5497]

Yessir! Trev got Taurean on the show! Def would want him back for less. Ham was killing him all season. But when he plays his role and plays the right amount of minutes, he's good. Plus he was pretty much the only guy that showed up for the Lakers bench in the playoffs.

[@LakerEric]

Such a good guy

[@RetroSatan24]

Yo what a dope thing getting TP for the show. Keep up the great work fellas

[@chris-moore1931]

Huge man! Great job Trev!

[@ROB_AGT]

I’m so glad he finally clarified what brand shoes he was wearing b/c I been trying to figure out WTH he’s been rocking on the court.

[@viniciuskaibara5681]

Congrats Trev!! Great accomplishment talking to TP! Let’s go Lakers!! 💛💜

[@OwnerOpEdu]

Oh snap!! All the trash talkin comments I’ve made. Good to know TP is friend of the show!! 😉 Good stuff Trevor

[@hinjurock70]

Trevor has said quite a few negative things about Taurean in the past as well, so don't feel too bad.

[@kosmique]

thanx T Prince for the chat

[@Dee-pk3jq]

Prince is a type of player we need to keep. He plays defense and shoots 3, jumper and attack the basket for lay up. He gets after it on high level and not fold even though we all know the coach never put him in the best situation to succeed and play at high efficiency. Solid pick by Rob and Lakers.

[@Dee-pk3jq]

He deserves more than damn minimum and play time coz he his good at what he does and very athletic too. We cant keep losing guys like him coz wanna be cheap ass mofo

[@jameshall7048]

@@Dee-pk3jqyou are completely correct. If he wanted 8-10 mil he needs it for sure. I am also tired of the lakers being cheap with guys like this. He is already on the roster they can easily go more over the cap to pay him.

[@user-kj6sm1bs9k]

got smashed and killed by gordon and denvers SF so no...hes exactly what we dont need...we need guys with edge...taurean seems like a good dude but zero dawg

[@user-kj6sm1bs9k]

@@Dee-pk3jq hes not good at what he does...he cant defend rebound or score consistently...rewatch the lakers last possesion thats prince in a nutshell...tht but kai cenat and tall

[@peteranders7106]

@@jameshall7048 that depends on whether or not you have a players full bird rights. You get bird rights if you acquire a player via trade, but not if he signs in free agency. I believe TP was acquired in free agency. Thus they probably do not have his bird rights. They are also notoriously cheap when it comes to luxury taxes. Letting go Caruso was one of the biggest mistakes in the LeBron era. Imo it was a bigger mistake than signing Westbrook. They are not going over the cap to retain a guy, unless they are a star player.

[@BLACKJEASUS-yd4fb]

i am very glad he wants to be back

[@jlive4u2]

TP is a good player. Put him in the right situation, and he will shine.

[@jeremyking9094]

Excellent!

[@murakjin3725]

TAUREAN WAS SOLID 🫡

[@user-kj6sm1bs9k]

nah

[@betoiniguez1296]

Big fan, he did what he was supposed to. Lakers must keep him.

[@TheMotivatedMindGroup]

This is gold! Super entertaining, Trevor!

[@ikatokiyazaki2343]

Lakers need a player like him, he is the derrick whites of teams.

[@Ardysanity]

LET'S GO TP!!! 🔥

[@diamondsharkentertainment7327]

He's a solid player . A keeper

[@user-ee9sj2wu9n]

Taurean!!!! Please stay!!!!

[@hurelulgaenkhtur7626]

Prince really good was against nuggets series hope bring him back

[@maximewong3415]

A new coach my God let's go Lakers 🎉🎉🎉

[@tonypapas9854]

Decent bench piece, but the roster has some major changes to make.

[@user-kj6sm1bs9k]

yeah i like as a 8 or 9th man...not as my starter or go to defender...dunno why ham(as) did that lol

[@wills.9422]

@@user-kj6sm1bs9kbut u cool with Austin Reaves as the go to defender?

[@peteranders7106]

Because the only other options available were Cam Reddish and Max Christie. That's why. When Rui was healthy he played him instead, but guess what that monumental change you folks thought would immediately bring a completely changed team didn't happen. Sure Rui can score a little better, but at the same time he also defends a little worse at SF. The real difference was that Dinwiddie brought some minutes on the bench for D'Lo and Reaves that we didn't need to play Cam or Max or Mays and that helped everyone else play a little better. I really don't think you can actually show in the advanced lineups that Rui rates out better than Prince does with the rest of the starters. So it was logical and obvious why Ham did that. I love how LN was flip flopping every show. Max needs minutes. Cam needs minutes. Prince needs minutes. Rui needs minutes. Vanderbilt needs minutes. No Max needs minutes. Around and around and around. Ham actually flip flopped less and was more decisive with his lineups than you lot. And I didn't want Ham, didn't like his performance either and am glad he is gone. He's just still a lot smarter on lineups than the lot here. You all really still think the roster was fine and utilized badly, when the roster construction was a freaking joke. So to you Ham is at fault, because we had all these great wings and stuff. But really we didn't have a single actual wing. Not one. I told you guys in preseason we have a Swiss cheese for a perimeter defense and no 2-way players and that Rui and Vando aren't wings and Prince isn't a real wing either. Told you guys then we are going to the play-ins with this nonsense. The honest to God truth is that Ham made a much smaller difference with lineups than you guys think he did and the real issues were timeouts and defensive schemes. And he did try a lot of defensive schemes, but without the players for it, you are screwed there, too. You can't scheme foot speed.

[@user-kj6sm1bs9k]

@@peteranders7106 i like both those options better than this guy

[@peteranders7106]

@@user-kj6sm1bs9k and that's why the Lakers are as bad as they are. You guys also thought Stanley Johnson and Austin Reaves are the young legs we need to finally make inroads and we should start them, when we had slipped below .500. when we did start Reaves and Johnson and had a .250 win rate as a result. See how that worked out? It didn't. Prince is a known commodity. He is not a good starter. He averages a -7 for his career. But he is an elite role player off the bench and vastly positive on Plusminus there. He definitely can shoot. His weakness is that his foot speed is fairly low, but he has length and a good release. So he can shoot, but isn't a great defender against SFs, certainly not starters. He consistently outplays bench guys though, even really good ones. He is lost against faster guards and also bigs with strength. More or less he has the same strengths and weaknesses AR has. AR has a better passing game, better handles and is more versatile. He has the same defensive issues though. Both are not explosive enough to contest or defend at a high level. Basically Prince has more of a PF body and a stretch PF game with the speed of a PF as well. He just doesn't have the strength or rebounding. So he ends up being more of a F hybrid. If he had a SF game and or speed, his value would be much much higher. He's been borderline starter for a long time and as a 7th, 8th or 9th man, he is great. We got him for 4.5M, which is excellent value. Overall he has much better offense than Cam and much better experience and defense than Max. He is flat out the better player. If you favor both Cam and Max over him, you are already rebuilding in your head. In my opinion we should have never had a Max. In my mind he was trade bait. I'm still on a win now timeline and have much more faith in this team being far better with some key changes with our role players. And Cam strikes me as content. He started playing good defense and his offense fell apart completely. I think he had physical gifts and made nothing of them. I don't think he paid off at all. In my opinion Cam is for garbage time highlight plays and an experienced guy for practice runs fort the young talent. I would give 10 others a min vet contract before Cam. Neither of those guys makes sense for the Lakers imo.0 That being said I liked starting Cam as well, but only because Vando and Rui were both unavailable. And I liked Cam instead of Reaves because in my opinion those two were always unplayable together and D'Lo was much more used to starting and made a lot more sense on the court with LBJ and AD than AR ever did. And we had some success with D'Lo, Cam, Prince, LBJ and AD. That wasn't because Cam was such a revelation or because these guys posted a jaw dropping +/-. They didn't. They were about the same as our normal lineup, maybe ever so slightly worse. But that changed a lot of things. It gave us a fresh Reaves off the bench against weaker competition and it took the defensive burden from D'Lo. In the end both D'Lo and Reaves had more juice left at the end of games and that is what then won the games. The only time D and AR ever really worked together was when the other team was already dead tired and struggling. Cam actually did a good job getting guys tired and so did Prince. The problem with Max was that he didn't get time to develop. You need to be allowed on the court, making mistakes, getting comfortable, getting used to the speed and the play styles. Max had 500 minutes of experience after 2 seasons. You can't rely on someone like that as a starter. The Lakers did it for two games against very weak competition and he made a lot of bad mistakes, too many to let him continue. If you can't find minutes to develop someone, you should let them go somewhere, where they can develop. There is absolutely no sense in keeping Max, because with 3x the experience he would already be passable and perhaps on his way to surpassing Prince, certainly at SF. Well, he doesn't have the experience and he won't ever get it. We don't have a team that beats everyone by 15. So there aren't any minutes for Max. Without minutes Max won't be good.

[@kevin392]

Good show, Trevor. I like Taurean as a loyal Laker and good teammate.

[@shawncross5019]

Good job Trevor and Laker Nation.

[@fineldiofrancisco1341]

Nice interview! Great job Lakers Nation!

[@brohighwayman9576]

great show, need more of this

[@YSeize10]

Prince is one of the few players I'd like to return 🤙🏼

[@peteranders7106]

I'd honestly like to see them run it back with one bigger trade and one smaller one. In my opinion it would be ideal to send Rui + Max two 1st + one 2nd to NY for OGA. I think that will hard cap us at the 2nd apron and Max would therefore be gone anyway. I am not sure how it works now, but if I can still send multiple players I'd ask Chicago what they want with the 1st and the two 2nd they'll get for Caruso. If I can't stack players up, then the offer is Gabe and those 3 picks. It'll be on them to flip Gabe for more or to have him as a part of a rebuild like if they can get rid of their bigger contracts. That's really all I would want to see. We have assets now. Use them to upgrade at the 2 and 3. As for min vets definitely Stanley Johnson, Jay Huff, McClung and Scotty Pippen Jr. should all get an offer, if they aren't signed. I'd take any of them back in a heartbeat. I completely hate the idea of losing D'Lo and then stacking up Reaves and Rui to get a star, using the MLE for a center and then having Cam and others like him play 50% of our minutes wondering why we have no spacing and can't get stops again. LeBron should be viewed as a 4 and AD is therefore a 5. I don't want LA spending on a 4 or 5 for that reason. It just doesn't make any sense at all. Neither does it make any sense acting as if we could replace D'Lo or upgrade him. Just look at the defensive ratings of PGs in the NBA. D'Lo is 14th. That is his worst attribute. He's clearly a good starter. The fact that people throw shade at him for being weak on defense on a team that had 0 healthy defenders at guard or wing is ridiculous.

[@YSeize10]

@@peteranders7106 I believe OG will be a free agent this off-season but I would love him on the Lakers. Caruso would be amazing as well but I don't agree that we don't need big men, AD needs some help. Especially a big that can help guard bigger centers like Jokic, Embiid and even when we play MIN. I like Hayes but he's too light in the back pocket and Wood is more of an offensive minded big. Also we need an athletic, defensive 3-4 type of player that can shoot (sorry Vando) like Jaden McDaniels. We honestly should've drafted Jaquez but that's another story. When it comes to upcoming realistic free agents, I wouldn't mind signing Deanthony Melton, strong defensive player that can def shoot 3's. Hartenstein would be my first option as a big but he might have played himself into a big contract this off-season. I'd keep D-Lo as well but either him or Reaves may have to go, they can't start together as they are to slow laterally. It's been two years and we get cooked by any decent guard, everytime. If we can get D.Murray for Reaves or Dlo and a couple first, I'd do it in a heartbeat. When it comes to vet min that you mentioned, I like Stanley but I would only sign Pippen and that's a huge maybe, just because he put up numbers on a terrible team doesn't make him good & I hope we don't see Cam on the Lakers anymore, truly the worst player we had last year.

[@peteranders7106]

@@YSeize10 yeah Hartenstein will get a big contract probably. The other suggestions are great, too.

[@Murali_bala13]

Taurean Prince is a perfect 20 min bench role player ... He can be most impactful and effective coming off the bench and used in specific matchups in critical situations

[@m0dzero]

nice Trev! gettin some big names, AR, Taurean, Lakers Nation stock goin up!

[@Mr.Sinister420]

Great interview Trev. TP is a good dude, hopefully the Lakers bring him back.💜💛

[@KingDavis93]

Thank you TP love your attitude bro. Loved your consistency.

[@juicewrld9867]

I'm big fan T.p. played amazing this year hope to see him on the team next year .

[@user-kj6sm1bs9k]

amazing? when? which game?

[@jonwars123]

Whatever happens with Dlo I hope we can keep Taurean. I would buy your Crossover Culture gear whenever it comes out.

[@carypusey9311]

Yas 😊

[@ronboyt9768]

That question was brilliant

[@ozzee5094]

I like that he knew his weakness which was ball handling if he improves that he will be a much improved player and like he said nothing fancy just being stronger with the ball to help improve decision making.

[@rowlandstevens7515]

TP12!!! YAYYY!!!

[@ronboyt9768]

Another excellent question

[@gary_xavier05]

TP ALWAYS PLAYED HARD, come back my dude. Great stuff, Trev

[@user-kj6sm1bs9k]

but not good...and not really that hard either...lotta lazy transition dont mind if he leaves for a bag like hes known for...he dont care for rings bro

[@thelakerlandshow]

Goat Channel keep winning

[@stevenseetv2060]

TP 🙌🏼

[@alexhyunsuk]

he wants only him and vando back no one else 😹

[@Commenting800]

He was a real bright spot vs Denver. Not phased by the moment. the only guy who contributed it off the bench.

[@rayperez5006]

💜💛💜

[@jameswells3218]

I forgot to say bring him back Lakers "LAKERS NATION LET'S GO"!!!!💜💛💜💛💪💪

[@fcloading]

TP one of the few guys i liked in a set role 🔥 hope he’s back

[@smokeysettings1952]

W Chat with Taurean. I disagree I don’t think TP is a starter in this league but we need two way guys that can buy into their role. No time for sentiment

[@hinjurock70]

I don't think he is either, but our course he's going to think he is.

[@theerealmike]

TP is definitely a great piece to keep coming off the bench. The defensive line up should be with the starters

[@ogmeatwad-fy1th]

He deserves to be back.

[@mambamentality4483]

Trevor and TP!!!

[@TyrellClay]

Would love to have TP back! Gets way too much hate due to Darvin misusing him. Great role player when he’s put in the right position to succeed

[@joshuacrockett6544]

Love this guy! MORE PLAYERS #kyloRen

[@EthanStenhouse-dp7ic]

Thank you TP for coming on we appreciate it

[@KBmamba248]

Let's get AR on here!

[@hellomonkey1239]

We need more role players like TP.

[@quegates5420]

Lakers might as well bring him back it’s not too many wings out that can shoot

[@khalil8391]

Taurean if you reading these comments in about your SoundCloud songs gang

[@Syraks]

Solid role player. Lakers should keep him if possible

[@ronmangoba1159]

Definetly for keeps, I mean when he was given the right role off the bench, he delivered. The front officer better not make the same mistakes like they did with Caruso and Monk...

[@tonyp4914]

Ohhh shit T Prince on the show. Must watch! Half y'all turned on him but he showed TD up for us when we needed it. Just keeping it 100

[@ronboyt9768]

Taurean was great for the Lakers

[@heartbreakkid5463]

A lot doesn't like this guy, i dunno what they're watching.. but this dude is always available. He performs either way. And he defends. So what more can you ask for a role player? Haters of this dude's are blind 😂