The Milwaukee Bucks’ decision to bring back Gary Trent Jr. has quickly turned into one of the strangest stories of the offseason, and now the NBA is investigating the deal.
Milwaukee signed Trent Jr. to a four-year, $64 million contract, a massive jump for a player who had been on a far cheaper deal. He had signed with the Bucks in 2024 and made just $5.8 million over the last two years.
After a down season, the 6-foot-5 wing landed a fully guaranteed contract that stood out immediately, especially for a role player. Only seven players received more money in free agency.
The numbers from last season don’t make the price tag look any better. Trent Jr. averaged 8.1 points, 1.2 assists and 1.0 rebound in 21.2 minutes per game, shot 38.7 percent from the field and spent stretches on the bench. It was his worst season since his rookie year, when he barely played.
What makes the move even harder to understand is Milwaukee’s roster situation. The Bucks already have plenty of wings and guards in the mix, including Tyler Herro, Ryan Rollins, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Caris LeVert, AJ Green, Brayden Burries, Kasparas Jakucionis and Kevin Porter Jr. With the team rebuilding, the argument for giving major money to a veteran wing coming off a rough year looks thin.
Giannis Antetokounmpo sits at the center of the whole chain of events. Milwaukee didn’t sign Trent Jr. in 2024 without Antetokounmpo giving the team a shot to contend, and the Bucks kept Trent Jr. on a bargain deal because they needed his Bird Rights.
Once Antetokounmpo was traded to the Heat, the money picture changed, and Milwaukee had to convince Trent Jr. to stay on a rebuilding roster. That helped push the Bucks into a deal that now looks excessive.
The source of all this goes back to Antetokounmpo wanting Milwaukee to go all-in around him. That mindset helped lead to the Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard trades, and it also shaped how the Bucks built around him. They were always trying to squeeze every last bit out of the roster while the Greek Freak was there.
Now, with Antetokounmpo gone, the Bucks are left with a contract that already looks rough and could get worse if the league finds they crossed a line. Rich Paul got Trent Jr. the deal, and the NBA is checking whether Milwaukee handled it legally. Either way, it has already become one of the offseason’s most questionable moves.
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