The Toronto Raptors have had a quiet July, signing a single player in Garrett Temple but otherwise not making any moves. They currently go 19-deep on their roster and seem prepared to take that group into Training Camp.
That doesn't mean there isn't plenty of news to talk about, as current and former players continue to puncture the headlines. Let's break down the latest in the return of Raptors News!
Gary Trent finally finds a home
As the free agent market chilled to a standstill, one of the players left in the lurch was Gary Trent Jr. The Raptors made it clear they weren't going to include him in their future plans, a reasonable decision given their investment in drafting shooting guards; they have a 2 on the roster now from each of the last three drafts.
The market evaporated before Trent could find a landing spot, however, leaving him without a path to a payday this summer. It was announced Tuesday that he chose to sign with the Milwaukee Bucks on a one-year, minimum contract.
Financially it's a massive blow for Trent, who could have signed a multi-year contract on the open market last summer for around the Mid-Level Exception or potentially even more, but instead picked up his player option to hit the market this summer. That proved to be a mistake, and Trent will now have to prove himself in a major way not to be labeled as a minimum player moving forward.
Milwaukee is a logical place to make that bet, as he joins the team as the favorite to start at shooting guard next to Damian Lillard. He will get plenty of open 3-pointers as defenses load to Giannis Antetokounmpo inside and Lillard outside, and if his perimeter defense can hold up he'll receive plenty of minutes not just in the regular season but in the playoffs as well.