The Milwaukee Bucks further shored up their backcourt depth by signing Gary Trent Jr. on a one-year minimum deal, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
According to Blake Murphy of TSN, Gary Trent Jr. reportedly turned down offers from other teams that could’ve earned him a multi-year mid-level contract to eventually join the Milwaukee Bucks in pursuit of his first NBA championship alongside former Portland Trail Blazers teammate, Damian Lillard.
“The Toronto Raptors were no longer interested in retaining Trent, and with so few teams operating with cap space or even the full mid-level exception ($12.8 million in Year 1), Trent was left to make a difficult choice,” Murphy wrote in his column.
“In the end, he opted to reunite with Damian Lillard and contend for a championship on a one-year minimum ($2.6 million) rather than taking multi-year offers at the smaller mid-level ($5.2 million in Year 1) that were on the table, according to league sources,” he concluded.
How does Gary Trent Jr. fit with the Milwaukee Bucks?
Gary Trent Jr. is coming off a decent 2023-24 campaign with the Toronto Raptors, averaging 13.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.1 steals while shooting 42.6 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from three-point range in 71 regular season games (41 starts).
With Malik Beasley moving to the Detroit Pistons, Gary Trent Jr. will take the starting shooting guard spot, keeping Khris Middleton in his best position at small forward.
Before joining the Milwaukee Bucks, the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers were rumored to be the two notable suitors for Gary Trent Jr.
The 25-year-old sharpshooter did a huge solid for the Milwaukee Bucks, who were above the second tax apron. Gary Trent Jr. could’ve earned up to $15 million for three years instead of only $2.6 million for one year.
