Surgeon Gets Honest About Bucks Forward Taurean Prince's Neck Surgery Rehab

Oct 28, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Taurean Prince (12) reacts to a foul call by referee Brandon Schwab in the second quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Bucks are in a dangerous slump.

Currently down starters Kevin Porter Jr. (meniscus surgery) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (groin strain), plus 3-and-D bench forward Taurean Prince, the Bucks have dropped their last three games and six of their last 10 contests overall. Milwaukee has fallen to an 8-8 overall record and the Eastern Conference's No. 11 seed early in the 2025-26 season.

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Antetokounmpo is expected to return to Milwaukee in the next few weeks, which should greatly improve the team's fortunes. But Porter has missed most of the year so far, and Prince is out indefinitely following a surgery last week to repair a herniated disc in his neck.

Prince's recovery could be a long-term project.

To figure out just what Prince is facing, Bucks On SI consulted with Dr. Rahul Shah, Board Certified Orthopedic Spine Surgeon.

So how bad did the injury have to be for Prince to opt for surgery?

"In general, when one has a herniated disc in the neck it is the magnitude of the dysfunction that determines the solution," Dr. Shah said. "Specifically, if one has symptoms of weakness, or loss of strength or difficulty with spinal cord issues such as difficulty with balance, surgery may be performed.  Additionally, if one has incapacitating pain or progressive worsening pain or loss of function, surgery may be performed."

A Brutal Predicted Recovery Timeline

Unsurprisingly, Dr. Shah suggested that Prince's recovery timeline would be extensive. Based on his projections, it's possible the Bucks will be without Prince for several months. Before Prince can even rehab, he may be wearing a neck collar for over a month.

"In general, depending on the magnitude of the surgery, one may be placed in a neck collar for a month to six weeks and then rehabilitation is undertaken for a few months to regain and optimize strength and function," Dr. Shah revealed.

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An obvious concern for Milwaukee — and Prince — moving forward would be the question of how much definitive help surgery can provide, and how much it can stave off the risk of reinjury.

"Surgery typically salvages the area that is damaged," Dr. Shah indicated. "The risk of injury to the area that is salvaged is minimal in the future depending on the type of surgery that is performed as well as the amount of injury that is present. The more extensive the damage and loss of function, the more the risk of reinjury is possible."

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