After buying and selling franchise icon Giannis Antetokounmpo, many NBA followers most likely did not anticipate a lot else from the Milwaukee Bucks, however their newest transfer leaves everybody confused. The Bucks re-signed guard Gary Trent Jr. to a 4-year, $64 million deal regardless of having solely averaged 8 factors per recreation final season.
That is a stunning overpay that triggered many on social media to cry foul. Actually, Nate Duncan of the Dunk’d On podcast additionally took difficulty with the deal.
„“Gary Trent getting 4/$64 after the 12 months he simply had is apparent circumvention and needs to be punished by the league. This could fall underneath the supply that there isn’t a potential rationalization aside from circumvention.“
Nate Duncan
If judging it purely on its deserves, is 4/$64m for Gary Trent Jr. probably the most absurd deal in NBA historical past relative to the market if judging in the meanwhile the deal was signed?
— Nate Duncan (@NateDuncanNBA) July 12, 2026
„Gary Trent getting 4/$64 after the 12 months he simply had is apparent circumvention and needs to be punished by the league. This could fall underneath the supply that there isn’t a potential rationalization aside from circumvention.“ Nate Duncan
I agree fully, and everybody and their mama can see that one thing fishy is occurring right here.
One thing is clearly off concerning the Milwaukee Bucks‘ Gary Trent Jr.
Disappointing gamers do not usually get large pay raises out of the blue. That is what caught many without warning and is paying homage to the Los Angeles Clippers scenario with Kawhi Leonard.
The Clippers and Leonard are at the moment being investigated for wage cap circumvention, with L.A. accused of getting paid their star thousands and thousands off the books. This case is barely completely different. Actually, it is presumably extra paying homage to the Joe Smith scenario again.
The plan was for the Minnesota Timberwolves to signal Smith to a number of one-year offers to safe his chicken rights after which signal him to a giant contract. That looks like what the Bucks did: signal Trent Jr. to low-cost one-year contracts after which give him the bag.
Will the Bucks be punished for re-signing Gary Trent Jr.?
No investigation has been introduced, so proper now there are simply raised eyebrows. If the NBA would not examine, then it will appear to be a double commonplace given what the Clippers have been accused of doing.
Nonetheless, as NBA analyst Sam Vecenie factors out, the punishment is the Bucks having to pay Trent Jr. $64 million. That is a brutal contract, even when they most likely will not be a playoff group within the close to future.
However, it is laborious for the Bucks to justify paying him that a lot when his worth is a minimal contract. We’ll have to attend and see how this example performs out, however there’s clearly extra to this story.
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