THE Minnesota Timberwolves have shocked the NBA world with the decision to let Taurean Prince hit free agency.

The move seemingly caught Prince by surprise as well as the NBA veteran appeared to have learned he was out of contract on social media.

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NBA forward Taurean Prince seemingly found out about being cut by the Minnesota Timberwolves from a report on social mediaCredit: Getty

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Minnesota decided against guaranteeing Prince’s (right) 2023-24 salary of $7.4m, allowing him to hit free agencyCredit: Getty
Prince had a solid 2022-23 season, averaging 9.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 54 games for the Timberwolves – while shooting 38.1 percent for 3.

It’d only cost $7.4m to keep the 29-year-old for another year – a particularly small sum considering how coveted reliable 3-and-D wings are across the league.

But Minnesota decided against guaranteeing Prince’s salary in the second and last year of his deal, letting the ex-Baylor standout hit free agency.

NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news on Wednesday afternoon with the Timberwolves having until that day to decide the 6-foot-6 forward’s fate.

The surprised Prince then retweeted the ESPN reporter’s post, suggesting he had no idea he was headed toward free agency.

“Sheesh, appreciate the heads up Woj,” the NBA player wrote.

A number of NBA analysts said they didn’t see the Timberwolves’ move coming.

“I’m shocked, that was a really good value contract. Definitely helps the wing market,” Lakers Nation’s Trevor Lane tweeted.

“Bit of a surprise here,” added Spotrac’s Keith Smith.

“Prince was solid for the Wolves last year, but this gives them a roster spot and a little more wiggle room under the tax line.”

Several NBA fans also chimed in, blasting the Timberwolves for the way they handled Prince’s situation.

“I think it’s extremely unprofessional for players to find things out from Woj,” one wrote.

“These organizations at least have to notify the players before they leak the info to Woj. That’s the bare minimum.”

Another added: “You deserved better man!”

And a third said: “It’s disrespectful! The teams should get fined or remove draft picks the following year if a player is notified via any other source than the team’s front office. Bad business!”

The Timberwolves reportedly haven’t ruled out bringing Prince back in free agency.

Whether the veteran forward would agree to return considering the circumstances is an entirely different story – especially as he would likely have to accept a pay cut to come back.