.jpg)
1 hour ago
4
The Milwaukee Bucks are entering a new era, one in which they're not expected to contend again for quite some time.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo gone, traded to Miami earlier this offseason, the Bucks have started building out their roster in different ways — but last week, they agreed to a free-agent deal that left the NBA world confused.
Milwaukee re-signed veteran guard Gary Trent Jr. to a four-year deal that, in its total dollar figure, was significantly more than Trent made in each of the last few seasons. And now, after the Bucks made that re-signing official on Thursday, the NBA announced plans to investigate.
Here's why the NBA will be looking into the Bucks' contract with Trent in free agency.
MORE: Winners and losers from 2026 NBA Summer League
Why is NBA investigating Bucks?
In his NBA career, Trent has been a fine player, making stops in Portland and Toronto prior to joining the Bucks in 2024. With a proven scoring capability off the bench and plenty of 3-and-D contributions, Trent has become one of the NBA's reliable rotation guards.
Trent, however, has seen his typical numbers fall off in Milwaukee. In 2024, he signed with the Bucks on a minimum deal: one year and $2.6 million. The following season, he averaged 11.1 points in 74 games, which led to Trent agreeing to a two-year, $7.5 million deal in the 2025 offseason. Because that contract carried a player option for 2026-27, however, Trent hit the open market again this offseason.
Because Trent put up just 8.1 points and 1.2 assists per game in 2025-26, he wasn't expected to command a very significant contract in free agency. But on July 11, ESPN reported that Trent had agreed to a $64 million deal to stay in Milwaukee — far more than he was expected to be worth.
"Trent was drawing interest from several teams," ESPN reported on July 11. "[Including] working through potential sign-and-trade deals with other destinations before he decided to return to Milwaukee."
Over the last few days, however, voices around the NBA questioned why the Bucks, entering a rebuild, would give $64 million in total to a 27-year-old guard who was coming off one of his worst seasons and made under $4 million last season. While it's nothing but speculation for now, some have questioned whether the Bucks engaged in any form of salary circumvention by agreeing off-the-record with Trent to keep him on a cheaper deal last season, then give him more money in the 2026 offseason.
On Thursday, after Milwaukee officially announced that extension for Trent, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that an NBA spokesperson said the league was "probing" the Bucks' agreement with the guard.
While no wrongdoing has been confirmed, the Bucks' situation with Trent now becomes the second active contract investigation for the NBA — the Clippers' situation with Kawhi Leonard also remains ongoing.
Gary Trent Jr. contract details
- Years: 4
- Amount: $64 million
Trent agreed to a four-year, $64 million deal, meaning his AAV of $16 million was far more than the $3.7 million and $2.6 million on his previous two Bucks contracts.
That jump in pay for Trent after a rather lackluster 2025-26 season is what raised some eyebrows around the NBA, and the Bucks will now likely have to provide their reasoning for dishing out the contract.
English (US)