The Milwaukee Bucks are undergoing some significant changes this offseason. After parting with Giannis Antetokounmpo in a trade with the Miami Heat, the Bucks effectively acquired all the assets needed to proceed with a rebuild. Sadly, the recent controversy involving Gary Trent Jr. has become an obstacle.
Gary Trent Jr.’s latest four-year, $64 million contract is noteworthy, to say the least. Given that the guard was on a deal worth $3.6 million last season, a new, fully guaranteed deal is nothing short of spectacular. However, this in itself raised enough suspicion to trigger a cap circumvention investigation.
Needless to say, this storyline has generated some buzz within NBA circles. On that note, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst also offered some insight into the case, touching on why the NBA may have called for an investigation on “NBA Today.”
“Well, first off, it was signed today and is now official. They [the Bucks] announced it, and the numbers went out to the whole league. All four years are fully guaranteed… That is a big part of this, too,” Windhorst began.
“If you look at other contracts in the summer, that was not what was happening in the market for role players. Players like Donovan Mitchell, Victor Wembanyama, or Austin Reaves – they got 4+ years guaranteed, not role players.”
As Windhorst mentioned, while there have been some huge signings this year, the market hasn’t been as kind to role players. With the current CBA imposing heavy restrictions on how teams structure their rosters, front offices have struggled to retain key rotation pieces. Mitchell Robinson’s departure from New York is a prominent example of this.
On that note, Gary Trent Jr.’s contract seems even more suspicious, as Windhorst continued:
“The other thing is, he made $6 million over the last two years combined. That is perceived by the league to have been under market value. They think the Bucks got Gary Trent Jr. on a discount the last two years.”
“When a player wants to play on a discount, it happens every year. It’s not unusual. What has raised the flag is that he would be perceived by the league as being overpaid by the same team that he was underpaid for by the last two years.”
It is not unknown for players to take a pay cut for the greater benefit of the team. Given that a superstar like Victor Wembanyama can also leave money on the table, it is not unreasonable for players to sign contracts at a discounted price.
However, Gary Trent Jr.’s latest contract will see him earn $14.2 million in the first year, nearly $10.6 million more than last year. When also factoring in that he averaged only 8.1 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game last season, his worst performance since his sophomore year, the sudden increase after Antetokounmpo’s departure is bound to raise some flags.
Naturally, such situations give rise to different narratives. Still, the current working theory is that the Bucks convinced the 27-year-old to accept a lower salary to help build a title-contending roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo. The key tenet of this deal, however, would be an assurance that the guard would receive compensation.
Although this theory has merit, Windhorst highlighted the challenges associated with such investigations, stating:
“Now, proving anything here would be difficult. You would need some sort of paper trail documentation, what have you, which the league may not be able to find anything on. But it definitely raised the whiff of a quid pro quo, so the league will take a look at it and see if they can find anything that is not normal.”
Launching an investigation into the Bucks and Gary Trent Jr.’s dealings is certainly a promising start, but finding enough evidence will be a completely different ballgame.
Given how long it has taken the NBA to investigate Kawhi Leonard’s dealings with Aspiration, there is no concrete way of predicting a timeline for the final verdict. Either way, if Gary Trent Jr. is found guilty of salary cap circumvention, the penalties for him and the Bucks could be significant.
