Atlanta Hawks pick up fourth-year option for Taurean Prince

In a move that shocks absolutely no one, the Atlanta Hawks have officially exercised the fourth-year option on Taurean Prince’s rookie scale contract, tying him to the team until the end of the 2019-2020 season. The deadline for Prince’s option was Oct. 31, but like a lot of teams around the league, the Hawks have decided to move well before that deadline.

For the most part, picking up these team options are a mere formality, as rookie scale contracts provide more value than just about any other contract in the league under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement. For Prince in particular, he’s proven himself to be a starter-level player for the Hawks and will earn just $3.5 million in 2019-20 before hitting free agency, at which point he’s slated to receive a substantial raise.

Prince is a key part of a young Atlanta team in the midst of a rebuild and should be viewed by management as a strong building block toward the club’s future success. A true small forward, he’s able to hang with bigger players on the perimeter and on the block while providing plus shooting and an emerging scoring ability.

The entrenched starter will look to take steps forward as a playmaker and defender in his third year with the Hawks in 2018-19 to fully round out his game on the wing.