Free agent wing Gary Trent Jr. and the Milwaukee Bucks have agreed to a one-year contract, his agents told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Trent, 25, spent the last three and a half seasons with the Toronto Raptors. Before that, he spent the first two and a half seasons of his NBA career with the Portland Trail Blazers, during which time he was teammates with star guard Damian Lillard, with whom he will reunite in Milwaukee.
Trent was arguably the best free agent remaining on the market. Before cap space dried up around the league, he reportedly turned down a multi-year deal with the Raptors that would have paid him around $15 million annually, as he was seeking a raise on his $18.6 million 2023-24 salary.
Last season, Trent averaged 13.7 points in 28.1 minutes and made 43.1% of his pull-up 3s. With the Bucks, he will presumably slide into the role vacated by Malik Beasley, who signed with the Detroit Pistons in free agency. At his best, Trent is a vastly superior defender to Beasley, but his work on that end was inconsistent throughout his tenure in Toronto.
Until now, Milwaukee has had a quiet offseason, especially compared to the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks, who are also trying to take down the defending champion Boston Celtics. Delon Wright and Taurean Prince were both smart signings for the minimum, though, and if Trent has agreed to a minimum contract — the only type of contract the Bucks have at their disposal — then he is the biggest bargain of the summer.
