Taurean Prince had little time to develop before becoming an integral part of an NBA team. The former 12th overall pick gained a steady increase in minutes as his first season went on, and he ended his rookie season in the starting lineup for the playoff-bound Atlanta Hawks.
After the departure of many key pieces, the Atlanta Hawks roster was depleted heading into the 2017-18 season. While they would have loved to give Prince another year to hone his skills in a smaller role, they had no other choice than to let him off the leash.