Gary Trent Jr. to Sign Bucks Contract amid Lakers Buzz, Reunites with Damian Lillard

Veteran guard Gary Trent Jr. is on the move after agreeing to a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported last week the Los Angeles Lakers had Trent on their radar but lacked the means to sign him absent some financial maneuvering.

Trent is coming off another solid season with the Toronto Raptors. He averaged 13.7 points and shot 39.3 percent from beyond the arc, the second-highest clip of his career. The 25-year-old hit 43.1 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes, per NBA.com, illustrating how effectively he operated in an off-ball role.

With their season spiraling, some were surprised when the Raptors didn't move Trent by the February trade deadline. Toronto didn't execute a full-scale rebuild, but dealing Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby pointed to an obvious reset.

Raptors general manager Bobby Webster made clear what was broadly obvious once Trent remained on the team through the deadline.

"Gary is 25 years old and a 40 percent 3-point shooter. So you can start there," Webster told reporters regarding the player's status in his long-term plans. "I think he probably would even admit he didn't get off to as good of a start as he would have wanted to, but he's settled in now and we're seeing it. So I think it's a little TBD on Gary, but I think we're watching him grow with this group.

"We're watching him pick and choose his spots offensively. I think you're seeing him be a bit more aggressive defensively, which we've seen over the years."

The organization's attitude toward Trent clearly changed, and it might be down partially to how badly he and his representatives failed to project his value on the open market.

TSN's Josh Lewenberg reported on July 8 the Raptors were prepared to offer him $15 million a year as the free agency moratorium window opened. His agents were instead looking for a number above his $18.6 million player option from last year.

"Something in the $25 million range was believed to be the ask, a misread of a market that hasn't been kind to players of Trent's ilk — a very good three-point shooter (38 percent as a Raptor) who has shown flashes in other areas but hasn't been able to sustain them, especially on defence," Lewenberg wrote.

"Now, with the market drying up, one league insider suggested Trent would be 'lucky' to get the mid-level exception, valued at $12.5 million. A few reports have linked him to the Lakers, where it's possible he could only earn half of that."

Lewenberg went on to report Toronto had withdrawn its initial offer.

Caleb Martin made a similar mistake as he turned down a contract from the Miami Heat and ultimately got less money from the Philadelphia 76ers.

For Trent, he'll approach the 2024-25 season with a lot to prove.

The Bucks, meanwhile, had great value fall into their laps.

Thanks to being in the second apron of the luxury tax, Milwaukee entered the summer with one hand tied behind its back. Even if ownership was committed to raising the payroll, the front office had limited means with which to improve the roster.

When the summer began, Trent was probably thought to be out of the Bucks' price range. Instead, they managed to get some sorely needed depth on the wing.