I don't know if everyone else in Raptors Nation feels the same way, but having grown to be a huge fan of Gary Trent Jr. in his past Raptors tenure — I, for one, would be the first to welcome a second run in the Six if Toronto could somehow figure out a way to bring him back this summer.
It's why I noted in a recent piece after the Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster trade that a name like Trent Jr. could quickly become expendable in Milwaukee, allowing the Raptors to potentially explore a reunion with the 27-year-old swingman.
In that piece, I noted how the Raptors could get there either through trade, given the undeclared status of his impending $3.9 million player option, or in free agency should Trent Jr. choose to decline that money.
Gary Trent Jr. will likely be an in-demand target, making a Raptors reunion more challenging
NBA insider Chris Haynes would provide a bit more context on the Gary Trent Jr. situation in an X post from Friday evening: "Sources: Milwaukee Bucks sharpshooter Gary Trent Jr. has become a desirable target for teams coveting knockdown shooting to bolster roster. He is expected to decline $3.9M player option to hit open market."
At first to me, it certainly looked like a pick 'em situation if Trent Jr. would opt into his option or enter unrestricted free agency. For starters, I thought given Trent Jr.'s lackluster 2025-26 campaign, he would just accept the guaranteed money and work out a trade to find a new home. Instead, it seems Trent Jr. will lean into the more flexible option where any team in the NBA can simply pick him up at a new price tag and contract agreement.
And the Haynes tidbit of GTJ being "a desirable target for teams coveting knockdown shooting" definitely rings a bell in relation to the Raptors' crowded offseason race. Trent Jr. caught my eye as a potential low-cost, small-scale swing to increase Toronto's bench depth, and while the streaky label has followed GTJ for much of his career — he's still a solid option to potentially give you a hot shooting night or even stretches.
He's one of those guys who fits on virtually any NBA team, and whether he's given a big role or not, Trent Jr.'s type of skillset can end up becoming a secret weapon down the line (just look at what he did for the Bucks in the 2025 playoffs).
But as many other NBA rivals have shown, even just among the Raptors' inner Eastern Conference circle, it seems like players of Gary Trent Jr.'s caliber will be hot commodities this summer — making the possibility of a Raptors reunion much slimmer than initially thought.
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