Ahead of the 2021-22 season, Gary Trent Jr. signed a three-year, $51.8 million deal with the Toronto Raptors. Trent Jr. was traded to the team during the 2020-21 season from Portland. Last year was Trent Jr.’s final season of his three-year deal with the Raptors. Making him a free agent this offseason.
Raptors’ beat reporter Josh Lewenberg noted that the team had an offer of a $15 million annual salary for Trent Jr. However, his camp turned down that deal and told them he wanted $25 million a year. That was not the right decision for Trent Jr. as the Raptors have now taken away their initial offer. The team is reportedly willing to move on from Trent Jr. this offseason.
Where will Gary Trent Jr. play in 2024-25?
The Toronto Raptors are expected to move on from Gary Trent Jr. after he declined their offer and sought $25 million annually from them, per @JLew1050
“Per a source, the Raptors were willing to bring the sharpshooter back at an annual salary of around $15 million when the… pic.twitter.com/dWq57o3zAs
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 9, 2024
In the 2018 Draft, Gary Trent Jr. was a second-round pick by the Sacramento Kings. However, the Kings traded his draft rights to the Trail Blazers and that’s where Trent Jr. started his career. He played in 117 games for the Raptors over two and half seasons before they traded him in 2020-21 to the Toronto Raptors. Trent Jr. played in 17 games for Toronto after the trade and got a contract extension that offseason. After getting a long-term deal, Trent Jr. had the best season of his career.
During his 2021-22 campaign, Trent Jr. averaged a career-high (18.3) points, (1.7) steals, and (35.0) minutes per game. He also played in a career-high 70 games and made 69 starts. Unfortunately, his production in 2023-24 dropped to (13.7) points and (28.1) minutes per game. It was the first time since 2019-20 that he didn’t average at least 30 minutes per game. With his production dropping, the Raptors asked Trent Jr. to take a small pay cut. He was unwilling to do so and refused the team’s $15 million annual salary. Now, it’s highly unlikely that he will play for the Raptors in 2024-25.
Gary Trent Jr. would be “lucky get the mid-level exception.”
He’s linked to the Los Angeles Lakers as a possible player for them. pic.twitter.com/Q5IjdJ4ni6
— 🎗NBA•Fan🎗 (@Klutch_23) July 9, 2024
One team that Trent Jr. is linked to is the Los Angeles Lakers. However, they would only be able to sign him about half of the non-taxpayers mid-level exemption. It’s a way for teams over the cap to add free agents. Sources around the league have noted that Trent Jr. could be a valuable floor-spacer for Los Angeles. Trent Jr. is an efficient three-point scorer who is also known for his defensive skills. The Lakers could use his production off the bench next season. We’ll have to see where the 25-year-old signs this offseason.
