Gary Trent Jr.’s Four-Year, $64 Million Deal Has the NBA Asking Questions About the Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks signed Gary Trent Jr. to a four-year, $64 million contract over the weekend. And within hours, NBA insiders weren’t just confused. They were calling for the league to step in.

Nate Duncan, a well-known cap analyst, didn’t mince words on social media. He called the deal “obvious circumvention” that should be punished by the NBA. Duncan argued that there’s no logical explanation for the contract other than the Bucks trying to get around salary cap rules. He even floated whether this might be the most absurd deal in NBA history relative to the market at the moment it was signed.

What Did Trent Do to Deserve This?

Here’s where it gets weird. Trent averaged just 8 points per game last season. He shot 39% from the field. He played 22 minutes a night. For a guy coming off one of the worst statistical years of his career, that’s a massive raise.

The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie pointed out exactly that. He wrote that the NBA should take a serious look at a contract that makes no sense given Trent’s production — or lack of it — last season.

Trent signed a minimum deal last summer after a strong stretch with Toronto. Then he fell out of Milwaukee’s rotation completely. Now he’s getting $16 million a year? The timing smells to a lot of people like a handshake agreement made long before free agency opened.

The Cap Circumvention Argument

Cap circumvention isn’t a new idea in NBA circles. Teams have been accused of it for years, usually when a player signs for much less than market value one year and then gets overpaid the next. The league’s collective bargaining agreement has a specific provision against deals that have “no possible explanation other than circumvention.” Duncan cited that exact language.

If the NBA investigates — and that’s still a big if — the Bucks could face fines, forfeited draft picks, or even contract voiding. But given how often these deals happen across the league, enforcement has been spotty at best.

Milwaukee is clearly betting on Trent bouncing back. He’s been a capable shooter before, and with a mostly new roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks need someone who can create offense when the ball isn’t moving through the big guy. But paying top dollar for a guy who just lost his rotation spot? That’s going to get you sideways looks no matter who you are.

For now, the league hasn’t commented. Trent will likely get the chance to justify that contract starting in October. But the whispers aren’t going away anytime soon.