The Milwaukee Bucks dropped a surprise earlier this week when they handed Gary Trent Jr. a four-year, $64 million contract. For a guy who mostly rode the bench under Doc Rivers toward the end of last season, that number raised eyebrows across the league.
Now the NBA is officially looking into it.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Thursday that the league has opened a probe into the deal. A league spokesperson confirmed the investigation but did not offer specifics on what triggered it or what exactly the NBA is looking for.
The Contract That Didn’t Make Sense to Anyone
Trent Jr. has a reputation as a reliable outside shooter. He spent time with the Portland Trail Blazers and the Toronto Raptors before landing in Milwaukee. But by the time the playoffs rolled around, he had fallen out of the rotation. Doc Rivers barely played him. Taylor Jenkins has since taken over as head coach, but that doesn’t explain a $16 million annual salary for a player who logged mostly garbage minutes down the stretch.
Fans online were quick to call the deal suspicious. The $64 million figure seemed high for a wing who averaged single-digit points in limited minutes. Some pointed out that the Bucks are already up against the cap, which made the signing even harder to explain.
The Investigation and What It Might Find
ClutchPoints insider Brett Siegel weighed in on the situation and didn’t sound optimistic that the NBA would uncover anything concrete.
“Hard to imagine there will be any substantial evidence here,” Siegel wrote. “It’s hard for the league to step in and determine what a player is worth on a contract. Only thing that would potentially change things are possible texts or emails, but they’re surely deleted by now.”
That’s probably true. The NBA has investigated contracts before. The Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers situation dragged on for months and basically went nowhere. Unless someone left a paper trail or a voicemail that spells out some kind of under-the-table arrangement, this might be another one of those cases where the league looks around, shrugs, and moves on.
What Comes Next
For now, Trent Jr. is still a Buck. The deal is signed. The money is guaranteed. The NBA hasn’t said whether there’s a timeline for the investigation or what penalties could apply if they find something. Fines, draft picks, voiding the contract. All of that is on the table, but none of it seems likely based on what we know so far.
Milwaukee’s front office has not commented on the investigation. Neither has Trent Jr. or his agent. But you can bet the league office will be digging through emails and phone records to see if anything looks off.
Until then, the contract stands. And the NBA keeps asking questions.
Leave a Comment