The Milwaukee Bucks roster had doubts about the point guard, but the team has now added the best shooter still available. Gary Trent Jr. has agreed to a one-year contract with the Bucks, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Last season with the Toronto Raptors, Trent averaged 13.7 points, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals. Most importantly, he shot 39% on 3-pointers, giving Milwaukee a much-needed long-range threat at shooting guard after losing Malik Beasley to free agency.
The terms of the contract were not disclosed. If Trent signed at the veteran minimum, his seven seasons in the NBA would have earned him a $2.8 million settlement. However, he earned $18.6 million under his player option last season, which would be a significant pay cut. The Raptors would have been willing to sign him again for $15 million before deciding to move forward.
“Something in the $25 million range was believed to be the ask, a misreading of a market that has not been kind to players of Trent’s ilk – a very good 3-point shooter (38 percent as a Raptor ) who showed flashes in other areas, but has not been able to sustain them, especially in defense”, reported TSN’s Josh Lewenberg.
Milwaukee did does not have a mid-level exception (valued at 13 million dollars) available, as they were above the second fiscal apron. The Los Angeles Lakers were also supposedly interested in hiring Trent at a smaller number.
Trent reunites with Damian Lillard, who he played with on the Portland Trail Blazers from 2018-21. He shot 40% from 3 for the Blazers, getting plenty of open looks alongside Lillard, who is also a lethal long-range shooter (he shot 37% from 3 during his career in Portland).
Adding Trent allows Milwaukee to keep Khris Middleton at power forward, where he has excelled over the past eight seasons. Last season, Middleton averaged 15.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game and shot 38% on 3s.
Through free agency, the Bucks also added Delon Wright (37% on 3s last season) to the backcourt and Taurean Prince (39% from 3) for versatile wing defense. No word on whether Milwaukee wanted to bring back Patrick Beverley, who announced Tuesday that he would play next season in Israel.
