The Toronto Raptors' quest to build a bench that can support a deep playoff run after agreeing to trade for Kawhi Leonard has many fans getting a bit nostalgic. On top of the possibility of a DeMar DeRozan return looming over this franchise, former guard Gary Trent Jr. had some appeal before the Milwaukee Bucks signed him to a ridiculous contract.
Trent's four-year, $64 million contract is so unsightly that it has fans jokingly worried if this is some sort of salary cap circumvention. The Trent contract might make him radioactive to many teams out there, but the Raptors may be one of the few teams out there who will retain a degree of interest in him.
The Raptors want to get off Jakob Poeltl's equally atrocious contract, and Trent's shooting could be an asset on a bench that often went long stretches without knockdown threats from the perimeter on the floor. Trent is assuredly not staying in Milwaukee for the duration of that contract, which could get the trade scenarios flying.
Raptors' reunion with Gary Trent Jr. may be possible ater signing horrible Bucks contract
There's no way for the Bucks to justify that contract. Trent was averaging under 10 points per game and saw his shooting efficiency dip sharply last season, all while he was getting paid peanuts with Milwaukee. This deal feels like back pay for years in which he was underpaid, though it made him an albatross contract.
Oddly enough, his bloated salary could allow him to be traded as part of a package involving more players to make the money match up. Milwaukee's rebuild has made them a prime destination for Jakob Poeltl and his bloated contract. Perhaps the two sides could swap bad contracts for a player that makes more sense from a fit perspective?
If the Raptors and Bucks swing a deal that sends Poeltl to Milwaukee and Trent back to Toronto, the former Norman Powell trade chip might provide the same blend of perimeter scoring and active defense from his days under Nick Nurse, albeit with a veteran edge that he was missing the last time around.
Even though Toronto may appear to be largely done with their offseason machinations, a player like Trent shaking loose on a Bucks team that has pivoted fully into rebuild mode might be enough to at least get Bobby Webster interested in trading for him a second time.
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