Raptors: Ranking the best moves Masai Ujiri made in the offseason
By Mike Luciano
2. Getting Gary Trent Jr. locked up long-term
The Raptors were able to lock up Trent, who is younger than Malachi Flynn and already has a 15.0 point per game season under his belt, to a three-year contract for just under $52 million. He earned that deal thanks to his ability to shoot and create offense, but he’s made a borderline unbelievable improvement on the defensive end.
Trent went into last afternoon’s loss against Brooklyn leading the NBA in steals per game at 3.1 and ranking near the top of the list in terms of deflections per game. His defensive skills haven’t caused his offensive stats to dip despite all of the competition for shots.
Gary Trent Jr. has become an elite defender for the Toronto Raptors.
Trent is averaging 15.2 points per game on 41% shooting from the field and 33% from 3-point range. If he keeps this production up on both ends with Pascal Siakam back in the lineup, getting an elite defender and above-average shooter for a little over $17 million per season might be a bargain.
Trent is still just 22 years old, meaning that he has years of quality basketball in the windshield. Based on how this roster is constructed, Trent has been given a tremendous deal of responsibility. The early returns show he is capable of handling that role with aplomb.