Gary Trent Jr. had a chance to quiet the noise in Milwaukee’s preseason, and instead the early returns have only made his new Bucks deal look shakier.
That matters because the NBA is already investigating his fresh contract extension with the Bucks for potential cap circumvention. So when Trent stepped into the preseason with a $64 million deal on the line, it was the perfect setup for a statement. Two games in, though, he hasn’t come close to making one.
The numbers are rough. Trent is averaging just 5.5 points while connecting on 17.6 percent of his shots.
He’s also having the same problem that cropped up last season: the above-the-break 3. In two preseason games, he’s 1-of-10 on those looks, a 10 percent clip that leaves him tied for the third-worst mark in the NBA among players with at least 10 attempts.
That kind of start does nothing to cool off the criticism around the deal. If anything, it adds more fuel to it.
Still, there’s time for Milwaukee to get a better read on him. The Bucks have three preseason games left, which gives Trent a built-in runway to straighten things out before the real games begin. The answer for him isn’t complicated: keep firing with confidence and let the shot come around.
That’s the bet the Bucks are making. Trent’s career 38.7 percent shooting from deep says the touch is in there somewhere, even if the preseason hasn’t shown it yet. He looked particularly rough in the loss to Charlotte, when he went 0-for-8, but if there’s going to be a turnaround, this is the stage to start it on.
If Trent is going to become a reliable piece for Milwaukee and live up to this controversial extension, it has to begin with the jumper. Keep shooting it.
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