Gary Trent Jr. is sticking in Milwaukee, and the payday that comes with it is a major one.
According to ESPN reporting cited by multiple outlets, Trent has agreed to a four-year, $64 million deal to remain with the Bucks. The contract marks a sharp rise from the shorter-term arrangements he had been on in Milwaukee, taking him from a reported two-year, $7.5 million deal to a new average of $16 million per season.
The Bucks’ commitment comes after Trent spent the last two seasons with the team. He first arrived on a one-year minimum deal in 2024-25, then delivered a strong finish to the year and a memorable playoff stretch, highlighted by a 37-point outing with nine made threes in Game 3 of Milwaukee’s first-round series against Indiana. He returned last summer on a two-year deal with a player option, and this new agreement gives him a longer runway in Milwaukee.
Trent’s numbers last season were modest on paper, but Milwaukee still made him a priority in its backcourt and wing mix. In 2025-26, he averaged 8.1 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 21.2 minutes per game across 65 appearances, while shooting 38.7 percent from the field and 36.0 percent from three-point range. ESPN reported that Trent’s camp and the Bucks had been in talks since the NBA Finals, while also navigating possible sign-and-trade interest from elsewhere.
For Duke, the deal is another strong chapter in the Gary Trent Jr. story. He left Durham as the No. 37 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft after being selected by Sacramento and immediately traded to Portland.
He spent part of his rookie year with the Texas Legends in the G League before carving out a regular role with the Trail Blazers. In March 2021, he was dealt to the Toronto Raptors in the Norman Powell trade, and later that year he signed a three-year, $54 million contract with Toronto, where he posted his best scoring seasons before landing in Milwaukee.
Before the NBA, Trent was a five-star, Top 10 recruit in the class of 2017 out of Prolific Prep. At Duke, he started all 37 games in the 2017-18 season and averaged 14.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting 40.2 percent from three and 87.6 percent from the free-throw line on a team that also included Marvin Bagley III, Wendell Carter Jr., Grayson Allen and Trevon Duval.
In Other News...
Duke Just Made A Staff Addition That Signals Bigger Plans
Duke has added another piece to its track and field operation, bringing in a coach with both collegiate and elite-level experience as the program continues to build for the future. Shawn Wilbourn announced the addition of Cheyenne Nesbitt, who arrives with a background that includes coaching at Illinois and a standout competitive career at Saginaw Valley State, where she developed into one of the most decorated athletes in Division II.
For the Blue Devils, the move is about more than filling a spot on the staff. Nesbitts assignment will touch both the jumps and combined events groups while also putting her in a key operational role for the 2026-27 season, a sign Duke is thinking beyond the immediate roster and into the structure around it. Her resume also carries the kind of competitive credibility that matters in a program trying to raise its ceiling, especially after her work with USA Track and Field and her appearance at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. [Read more 🡒]
Dukes 2026 Ceiling May Come Down To One Lingering Roster Question
Dukes offseason has been defined by a simple priority: get stronger up front. After losing key starters on both lines, the Blue Devils have spent the spring and summer trying to build more depth through transfers and returning pieces, with veteran center Matt Craycraft giving the offensive line a steady anchor and the staff looking for the front to hold up better in the ACC. The goal is bigger than just plugging holes, too, because the program believes its next step depends on whether the trenches can match the rest of the roster.
On the defensive side, the conversation turns quickly to who can replace the production Duke is trying to replace at edge rusher and tackle. There is optimism around the group, but also a real sense that the ceiling of the 2026 team may hinge on how quickly those spots settle in. If the Blue Devils get the line play they are chasing, they can make a legitimate run at another high-win season and stay in the championship mix. If not, the margin for error gets a lot thinner. [Read more 🡒]
Gonzaga Just Took A Major Hit Before Duke Showdown
Dukes February 20 meeting with Gonzaga at Little Caesars Arena already stood out as one of the more demanding stops on the non-conference schedule, but the opponent the Blue Devils were expecting could look a little different by then. Gonzaga has been dealing with roster churn this offseason, and the latest change hits a part of the team that usually helps drive its pace and perimeter play.
The backcourt is now a bigger question than it was a few weeks ago, especially with another international piece already gone from the mix. For Duke, that does not make the matchup any less serious, but it does add another layer to a game that was already going to be a useful measuring stick for both teams. [Read more 🡒]