Gary Trent Jr. is staying put in Milwaukee, and he is getting paid to do it. The guard agreed to a four-year, $64 million contract to remain with the Bucks, a deal that runs through the 2029 season and instantly became one of the buzziest moves on the opening day of free agency.
The terms, widely reported as fully guaranteed with no player or team options, raised plenty of eyebrows around the league. As reported by The New York Times, the agreement was confirmed July 11 by league sources and was negotiated by Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul and agent Lucas Newton. The Times noted that ESPN was first to break the signing and described the contract as fully guaranteed with no options, per league sources.
Trent's Recent Track Record
Trent's on-court impact in Milwaukee has been solid but inconsistent. Last season he appeared in 65 games and logged 1,377 minutes, averaging 8.1 points in 21.2 minutes per game, according to StatMuse. In his first season with the Bucks, he was a more pronounced scoring threat, averaging 11.1 points over 74 games while shooting 41.6 percent from three, as noted on the team's official site, the Milwaukee Bucks.
Why The Structure Raises Eyebrows
Part of the league-wide chatter is not just the dollar figure but how Trent got here. He previously signed veteran-minimum deals to join Milwaukee before landing this fully guaranteed multi-year contract. Some league observers have pointed to past cases in which informal side agreements brought heavy league discipline.
The most-cited precedent is the Joe Smith and Minnesota Timberwolves saga, where an undisclosed arrangement led to fines and the loss of draft picks. The league's salary cap reference materials outline how harsh the penalties for cap circumvention can be, as detailed in the CBA FAQ.
The Bucks and the league office had not issued a public statement by the time coverage of the deal began, according to The New York Times. For now, the agreement locks in a veteran floor‑spacer for Milwaukee while kicking off a summer of scrutiny over how this contract fits into the Bucks' broader roster and cap strategy.
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