NBA Probes Bucks' $64 Million Gary Trent Jr. Deal for Cap Circumvention
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 16
NBA Probes Bucks' $64 Million Gary Trent Jr. Deal for Cap Circumvention
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 16
Summary
A league spokesperson said the NBA is still reviewing Milwaukee’s four-year, fully guaranteed $64 million contract with Gary Trent Jr. for possible salary-cap circumvention.
The scrutiny centers on how Trent, 27, jumped from a one-year minimum deal in 2024 and a two-year, $7.5 million pact in 2025 to a much richer contract after averaging just 8.1 points last season.
Rival executives had expected Milwaukee to reward Trent for previously taking below-market money, fueling questions about whether there was a prior handshake agreement tied to the Bucks’ roster-building around Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Early Bird rights let the Bucks pay Trent at this level only after two straight seasons with the team, a timing quirk that has made the structure itself a focus of the probe.
The closest precedent is Minnesota’s Joe Smith case in 1999, when the Timberwolves lost three first-round picks after an under-the-table arrangement was documented in writing.