The Brooklyn Nets have acquired forward Taurean Prince and a 2021 second-round draft pick from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for guard/forward Allen Crabbe, the draft rights to Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who was selected with the 17th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, and a protected 2020 first-round draft pick.
“We’re excited to welcome Taurean and his family to Brooklyn,” said Nets General Manager Sean Marks. “Taurean is an athletic frontcourt player who brings defensive toughness and versatility to our team, and we believe he’ll be a strong fit in Kenny’s system.
“We would also like to thank Allen for his contributions during his two seasons in Brooklyn, and we wish him the best of luck in Atlanta.”
Prince (6’8, 220) has appeared in 196 career games (139 starts) over three seasons with Atlanta, posting averages of 11.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 25.5 minutes per contest. As a rookie, he saw action in 59 games (10 starts), registering averages of 5.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in 16.6 minutes per game while shooting 40.0 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from 3-point range. He also appeared in five games with Brooklyn’s NBA G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, pursuant to the league’s flexible assignment rule. Prince then appeared in and started all 82 games in his second NBA season, improving his numbers across the board by posting averages of 14.1 points (42.6 percent from the field, 38.5 percent from 3-point range), 4.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.0 steals in 30.0 minutes per contest. He was named to the Team USA roster at the Rising Stars Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles. In 2018-19, the 25-year-old recorded averages of 13.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.0 steals in 28.2 minutes per game through 55 games (47 starts) while improving his field goal percentage (44.1 percent) and 3-point field goal percentage (39.0 percent) for the third straight season. Originally selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz, Prince was acquired by Atlanta in a three-team trade on July 7, 2016. The Texas native played four collegiate seasons at Baylor, where he earned All-Big 12 First Team honors as a senior and received the Big 12 Sixth Man Award as a junior.
Crabbe was acquired in a trade with Portland on July 25, 2017, and appeared in 118 games (88 starts) over two seasons with the Nets, recording averages of 11.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 28.2 minutes per contest. In 344 career games (112 starts) over six seasons with Brooklyn and Portland, Crabbe has averaged 9.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 24.6 minutes per game.