Milwaukee Bucks forward Taurean Prince (knee) will be welcomed back into the lineup for Saturday's playoff opener against the Indiana Pacers. The veteran was unavailable for the regular-season finale due to a knee issue. Prince has quietly played an important role for the Bucks this season, starting 73 of 80 games and contributing in multiple areas. He averaged 8.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.0 steals during the regular season.

The Milwaukee Bucks announced forwardTaurean Prince(ankle) won't play Friday against the Washington Wizards. Prince was considered probable earlier in the day, but he's since been scratched due to a left ankle sprain. Friday's contest will be the first he's missed, as he's played in all 54 Milwaukee games this season. With the 30-year-old veteran on the shelf this evening, Gary Trent and Kyle Kuzma will be in line for expanded roles in the Bucks rotation.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Taurean Prince (knee) is good to go for Sunday's contest against the Memphis Grizzlies. Milwaukee has upgraded Prince from probable to available. The 30-year-old boasts a proud record of having played in every game this campaign. With Bobby Portis (personal) unavailable, Prince has recently taken on a larger role in the rotation, logging 30-plus minutes in three of the past four games. He has provided low-tier fantasy value during that stretch, averaging 9.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.0 steals.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Taurean Prince (illness) will play against Boston on Friday. He was initially iffy for the contest due to an illness. Prince has recently had a productive spell with the Bucks, scoring in double figures five times in the past six games. He's shot an amazing 16-for-23 from behind the three-point line during the stretch. However, Boston gives up the third-fewest three-point attempts in the league, so it might be difficult for Prince to keep his hot shooting spell going.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Taurean Prince (quad) is listed as probable for Friday night's matchup against the Boston Celtics. Prince hasn't missed a game all season and logged his normal minutes on Wednesday, when he showed up on the injury report as well, so it doesn't appear that this injury is hampering him much. A bigger concern for fantasy managers, in regards to Prince's performance, is the return of Khris Middleton on Friday. Prince has brought fantasy value through making threes, hitting them at a league-leading 55.6% clip. However, it's been on generally low volume. If Middleton takes away any chances from three then it could impact Prince's numbers.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Taurean Prince (quad) is listed as probable for Tuesday night's game against the Detroit Pistons. Prince is dealing with a right quad contusion but it isn't hindering his abilities enough to hold him out. The 30-year-old is leading the league in three-point percentage, hitting threes at a 54.2% clip though at a fairly limited volume. He went three-for-eight against Detroit in their last meeting, showing the potential for a higher ceiling against the Pistons. He also grabbed 10 rebounds in that game, well above his season average of 4.6 RPG. He makes an intriguing DFS option for Tuesday night that DFS players should consider.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Taurean Prince (illness) is good to go for Tuesday's matchup against Miami. He was initially regarded as questionable for the game due to an illness. With Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) out, Prince might have to do a bit extra on Tuesday. The 30-year-old is shooting over 55 percent from deep this month and could see more success from behind the arc against a team that's allowed the opposition to nail 38.1 percent of three-point attempts.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Taurean Prince (illness) has been listed as questionable for Tuesday's encounter with Miami. The veteran wing is dealing with an illness, which might keep Prince off the court for the first time this season. It's been a solid but unspectacular campaign for Prince, who averages 8.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists with 53.1 percent shooting from downtown. Bucks head coach Doc Rivers will be forced to tweak his starting lineup if Prince isn't ready to go on Tuesday. Gary Trent Jr. has regained momentum lately and might be one of the biggest beneficiaries of Prince's absence. At the same time, Bobby Portis always carries extra fantasy value if somebody is missing from Milwaukee's first unit.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Taurean Prince hopes to ink a new deal with the team. He signed a one-year, $4.5 million pact last offseason and wants to extend his stay in L.A. "My family, the quality of life in Los Angeles is something that myself and my family haven't had in probably three or four seasons," Prince told Lakers Nation. "So to stay here would be definitely number one. If not that, then I mean, wherever the dominoes fall and wherever it's best, that's where I'll be. But I for sure want to be a Laker, 100 percent." Despite starting 49 times in 78 appearances and averaging 27.0 minutes, Prince didn't do much that pops out on the box score in 2023-24. He averaged 8.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists, shooting 39.6 percent from three-point range.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Taurean Prince will move into the starting five ahead of Tuesday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers. As expected, Prince will join the starting five with LeBron James (ankle) ruled out for this game. Fantasy managers shouldn't be too worried about James as this is likely more of a rest game than a serious issue. Regardless, Prince will draw the start and have increased fantasy value. He's normally good for about 10 points per game with a handful of rebounds. Fantasy managers should consider Prince a low-end streaming option for Tuesday's slate.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Taurean Prince (knee) isn't on the injury report ahead of Tuesday's clash versus the Clippers, meaning he should be back in the lineup after sitting out one game. Price was absent on Sunday against Portland due to left knee soreness. The veteran should assume his usual role in the starting unit on Tuesday, bumping Rui Hachimura back to the bench. Prince has been a solid three-and-D guy for the Lakers this season, averaging 9.8 points and 2.8 rebounds in 30.6 minutes with 38.7 percent shooting from deep.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Taurean Prince (knee) is listed as questionable for Saturday's game against Orlando. He was a late scratch Wednesday versus the Clippers with knee soreness and could be missing again. Prince is bothered by left patellar tendonitis. The veteran has produced a couple of very strong performances to kick off his Lakers career, and he's averaged 10.5 points with 40.9 percent three-point shooting in four games as a starter. Cam Reddish replaced Prince in the starting unit Wednesday night. He struggled at first but finished strongly and had an impact at both ends, amassing eight points with four rebounds, four assists, one block, and three steals. The 24-year-old could now get another chance to shine versus the Magic.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Taurean Prince has been named the starting small forward for Opening Night versus the Denver Nuggets. Head coach Darvin Ham said that Prince starting is circumstantial due to Jarred Vanderbilt (heel) being injured. Prince has played well in the preseason and earned the chance to start. The 29-year-old is unlikely to have long term fantasy value. He could be a possible streaming option while Vanderbilt is sidelined.

It's funny that every year at the NBA Draft, once the end of the guaranteed money and live appearances arrives at the end of the first round, everybody tunes out and refers to the 60th pick as "Mr. Irrelevant." That's not very accurate though, is it?Speaking historically, the title of "Mr. Irrelevant" could just as easily be applied to each pick in the draft, as organizations differ greatly in their evaluation of talent and their own needs, particularly in a year without the NCAA tournament. The nickname just doesn't reflect how basketball works anymore. Executives strategically stockpile second-round draft picks for the less burdensome financial obligations, and organizations in rebuilding mode get super creative to field a respectable team on a budget.Particularly in the NBA where worldwide talent is plentiful and positional lines continue to fade, the opportunity is everything: in the right situation, the right under-the-radar player can make an immediate, poignant statement. With professional development leagues for 16-18-year-olds, an ever-expanding set of domestic/international opportunities due to the sheer growth of basketball, and widespread NIL rights for college athletes, players of all levels and localities are starting to get their due exposure and now have enough freedom to hone their skills in a place, and at a pace, that fits best with their path to the NBA. 

Introduction

I am inherently skeptical and distrusting of scouting from the high school level to pre-Draft. That's why in this annual article, I tend to favor overlooked college players (love the mid-majors/non-power conferences) with either well-rounded, polished games or specific statistical specialties.We are going to discuss a handful of 2023 second-round picks and undrafted free agent signees who, given their individual skillsets and circumstances, warrant the attention of Fantasy Basketball Managers as potential high-impact rookies for the 2023-24 campaign who can quietly be acquired on clearance once they start showing signs of emergence.As I will frequently emphasize and reiterate: in 2023, there is very little difference between the vast majority of second-round draft picks and undrafted free agents--it always all comes down to the skillsets they possess, their capacity for growth, and the situations they've landed in.Seasons will be made and broken with early identification of the diamond-in-the-rough rookies. I used to list out the many examples from the past season in this introduction portion, but we are now in a beautiful era where there are just too many to count. There is also very little separating the featured players below and those dubbed "Honorable Mentions"--so put in the work and keep an eye out throughout the regular season for who is receiving and seizing their opportunities. 

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Los Angeles Lakers forward Taurean Prince has impressed in the preseason and could end up being the fifth starter for the team. "You can just throw him on the floor," Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said of Prince last week. "He's a pro's pro. He's the quintessential three-and-D guy. His scrappiness. His activity. His communication with his teammates, trying to keep everybody focused on that side of the ball. As well as a guy who doesn't have to force anything. He knows his spots. He knows where to be. He can finish in the paint, make threes obviously. But just the consummate professional." The praise came after Prince scored 17 points and had two steals in 20 minutes in a preseason game against Golden State. The 29-year-old has averaged 10.6 points and 1.0 steals in 17.8 minutes with 47.8 percent shooting from deep in the preseason overall, starting four of five games.

According to Jon Krawczysnki of The Athletic, Minnesota Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince could be traded to free up money to help bring back free agents. Prince has a $7.5 million salary for next season which becomes guaranteed on June 28, so the team will have to make a decision quickly on his future. The 29-year-old has been a solid bench piece for Minnesota, but Krawczysnki notes that Prince's exit would help bring back Naz Reid and/or Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Reid had a very good campaign in 2022-23, while Alexander-Walker impressed in the playoffs.

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince came out of nowhere to hit a season-high 35 points Monday against the Knicks, leading the team to a 140-134 road victory. Anthony Edwards (ankle) missed a second consecutive game, so there have suddenly been a lot more shooting opportunities for others and Prince took full advantage of it on Monday. He finished a fantastic 8-for-8 from deep and missed only one of his 13 total attempts from the field. Price, whose career-high stands at 38 points, completed his damage with five rebounds and two assists. The 28-year-old will hope to replicate his Monday's effort against his former team, the Hawks, on Wednesday, although Prince is set to lose most of his fantasy appeal if Edwards returns.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jaylen Nowell (knee) and forward Taurean Prince (personal) have been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Golden State Warriors. Both Nowell and Prince were questionable to play before being ruled out with their respective ailments. Austin Rivers and Nickeil Alexander-Walker should see a slight increase in minutes, but do not offer much in terms of fantasy value.

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince (personal) is now popping up on the injury report due to personal reasons. Seeing as this status change came on the same day of their game against the Charlotte Hornets, fantasy managers can lean toward their backup plan if Prince is in any lineups. It's still worth checking back for any updates as game time gets closer. If he ends up staying on the sidelines, Nickeil Alexander-Walker or Josh Minott could see some minutes, but neither of them would be strong streaming options.

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince (ankle) is questionable for Monday's encounter with the Rockets. He aggravated a left ankle sprain Saturday in another meeting with Houston and was forced to exit in the third quarter. The 28-year-old has been an important piece off the bench for the team, logging 21.3 minutes for the season and contributing 8.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists. Nathan Knight earned extra playing time Saturday following Prince's absence and is set for a bigger role again Monday if Prince can't play. The 25-year-old had a very good game with 19 points in 25 minutes at the weekend, but he hasn't done anything all season and shouldn't really be seen as a viable fantasy option.