Although the Toronto Raptors ended a 10-game losing streak against Denver on Wednesday night, there was still a dark cloud looming as everyone watching the game wondered if this was Kyle Lowry’s final run with the team. Instead, it was long-time Raptor Norman Powell, who got traded to the Portland Trail Blazers for Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood.
In just his third year, the 22-year-old Trent brings all the upside of a young, talented guard who has not even hit his prime yet. Trent will move into the offseason as a restricted free agent, giving the Raptors the first shot at matching any offers he receives while still having the salary flexibility as he comes off his rookie contract.
The former Duke Blue Devil put the league on notice last summer with his insane Bubble breakout, and carried that momentum into this season.
Trent, as evidenced in his debut despite the fact he was on Portland not even 48 hours ago, showed that he can be a two-way star for the Raptors. A 15.0 points per game scorer with size and a high basketball IQ, Trent should fit Toronto like a glove.
Here are the top 3 things that Gary Trent Jr. adds to the Toronto Raptors
No. 1: Perimeter defense
When you look at some of the well-known 3-and-D athletes in the NBA – guys like Danny Green, Khris Middleton, Jerami Grant, Robert Covington, they all have similar traits.
With his raw potential and talent, Trent could be on the cusp of making that list. Standing 6-5 with a 6-9 wingspan, he’s one of those guys with sneaky strength and a high IQ that has helped him take on some of the more challenging assignments on the other team.
He can hold his own against point guards and smaller wings and is also strong enough to hold down the fort for short stints against some forwards.
Gary Trent Jr’s defense has been excellent
We saw a glimpse of his potential when he guarded LeBron James in the 2020 NBA Playoffs. While it’s quite a tall order to clamp down The King, he managed to slow him down even if it was for a hot minute.
His steal rate isn’t very high, but he’s got active hands on the defensive end that can disrupt a players’ offensive rhythm.
He is not a lock-down defender by any means, but as he learns and adjusts his game, he could grow to become a vital piece on both ends of the floor. For a Raptors team in need of a vice grip on that side of the ball, acquiring Trent was well worth the hassle.
No. 2: Scoring Punch
There’s no doubt that losing Powell’s scoring, hustle and stellar shooting will hurt. He was the third-leading scorer averaging 19.6 points, shooting 49% from the field, and shooting a scorching 43% from deep.
I see Trent slotting into that role as the third-leading scorer for the Raptors. Before the trade, Gary was having a career resurgence with the Blazers and his game is built for the modern NBA. He was also the third-leading scorer on the Blazers, averaging 15 points while giving Portland another deadly weapon from long range.
Gary Trent Jr. scored despite losing shots to Damian Lillard
The team will look to create a future 1-2 punch in the backcourt alongside Fred VanVleet. The Raptors are going to desperately need his energy to infuse the team with some excitement if they want another invite to the annual postseason dinner table.
As defenses learned early on, Trent is not to be left unsupervised from beyond the arc. However, he has added to his versatility by putting in work in the mid-range. Out of his total shots taken, 24% of them came from 2 point pull-ups and he made 35% of those shots.
If he continues to improve and learns to create his own shot off the dribble, he can grow into one of the more formidable matchup problems for opposing teams.
No. 3: Elite 3-Point shooting
In just 2.5 years with Portland, Trent expedited his graduation from the Lillard-McCollum Sniper Academy. He got the league’s attention when he shot an otherworldly 47% from deep in the bubble last summer. This season, he got the green light to launch it from distance and it paid off.
Unless you’ve been following the Blazers, his game goes under the radar while he quietly averaged 3.0 3s made per game (currently good for 16th in the league), 39% on 7.4 Three-point attempts.
Clearly, he’s not shy to launch them, and he has a quick release that needs very little room to drop swish bombs. When defenders are in the 2-4 Feet range- Gary makes 38% of his attempts from 3. That number vaults to 47.4% when defenders slack off and give him room.
He will fit perfectly in Toronto’s free-flowing offense with his ability to move well off the ball and create in transition. His elite shooting is a problem for opposing teams and will help stretch the floor and give guys like Pascal Siakam, VanVleet, OG Anunoby, and Lowry more room to cut to the rim and do some damage in the paint.
"“Gary Trent is a player with lots of upside, shooter, defender, fits our core team. That’s what we’re excited about,” Masai Ujiri said of the new recruit. “I think it works both sides.”"
As we look ahead to what is going to be a difficult run to lock in a playoff spot- it is not going to be easy to replace what Powell brought to the Raptors. But don’t sleep on Gary Trent Jr. There’s a new sharpshooter in town.