During his short-lived stint with the team, Delon Wright initially had the Milwaukee Bucks' backup point guard opening locked up, but Ryan Rollins swooped in and took it. If Taurean Prince fails to live up to expectations like Wright, he could end up being replaced in the rotation by another youngster, perhaps Chris Livingston, as the Bucks continue to emphasize their new reliance on youth.
Bucks' Taurean Prince must be on his toes after last year's move
Wright never looked like the player the Milwaukee Bucks thought they were getting when they signed him in the summer of 2023. His shot was off, his trademark defense had regressed, and he failed to do all of the little things that made Bucks fans so excited about the signing initially. All of that opened the door for youngster Ryan Rollins, who has become a household name in Milwaukee.
As soon as Rollins showed a speck of potential, Wright found himself on the bench before eventually being traded. The blueprint is there for Taurean Prince to suffer a similar fate.
Prince has a lot to prove this coming season. He was great in the regular season last year, but once the NBA Playoffs began, that player was nowhere to be found. His performance was so poor that he got benched deep in Milwaukee's' first round series. If those struggles carry over into next season, Prince's place on the team will not be safe, especially after waiving his implied no-trade clause.
Chris Livingston seems like the obvious candidate to overtake Prince in this scenario. After all, he is the only other legitimate small forward on the roster. The Milwaukee Bucks showed their faith in the youngster by re-signing him this summer. Age-wise, the 21-year-old Livingston also fits in more with the reliance on youth this team is building over the 31-year-old Prince.
Of course, Taurean Prince could use all of this as motivation. He saw what happened with Wright, and he won't want it to happen to himself. If he comes back with a vengeance after last season's playoff shortcomings, his place in the rotation, maybe even the starting lineup, depending on how Doc Rivers decides to use his roster, may be safe.
Right now, it's all about the waiting game, but Taurean Prince has plenty of motivating after re-signing with the Milwaukee Bucks earlier this summer.
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