The NBA has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Gary Trent Jr.‘s recent contract extension with the Milwaukee Bucks. The signing, which was officially announced on Thursday, is being scrutinized for potential circumvention of salary cap rules.
Reports indicate that Trent Jr. signed a four-year, $64 million deal with the Bucks. This new agreement follows a season where his statistical performance saw a decline, with averages of 8.1 points per game and 21.2 minutes per game during the 2025-26 season for Milwaukee. These figures represent his lowest averages in both categories since his rookie season in 2018-19.
Trent Jr., a 6-foot-4 guard, initially joined the Bucks in 2024 on a veteran minimum contract. This move came after a season with the Toronto Raptors where he averaged 13.7 points per game and shot 39.3 per cent from beyond the arc. He then returned to the Bucks in 2025, averaging 11.1 points per game and shooting 41.6 per cent from three-point range.
His performance in the 2024-25 season included scoring over 30 points in two of the Bucks’ five playoff games during their first-round loss to the Indiana Pacers. The contract he signed last year included a $3.9 million player option for the 2026-27 season, which he declined before agreeing to the current extension.
Salary Cap Concerns
The core of the investigation revolves around whether there was a prior understanding that Trent Jr. would be financially rewarded with a larger contract now, in exchange for signing below-market deals in the previous two years. This type of arrangement could be seen as a way to bypass the league’s salary cap regulations.
While the specifics differ, this probe by the NBA follows another ongoing investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers. That case concerns whether the Clippers circumvented salary cap rules related to a $28 million endorsement contract involving Kawhi Leonard, a seven-time All-NBA forward, and a now-bankrupt company called Aspiration Fund Adviser LLC. The Clippers’ trade of Leonard to the Toronto Raptors has been put on hold due to this separate investigation.
The concept of teams and players making informal agreements for future compensation is not new. John Calipari recently discussed a historical precedent from 1994 involving the Phoenix Suns and Danny Manning. In that instance, the Suns had limited cap space and signed Manning, with an alleged handshake agreement from owner Jerry Colangelo for a larger contract in the future.
Despite Manning suffering a knee injury midway through his first season, Colangelo reportedly honoured his word, signing Manning to a seven-year, $40 million extension in 1995. This historical example, which even included Manning receiving part ownership of the Diamondbacks, highlights how such arrangements, if proven, could be viewed as circumventing the salary cap.
Calipari suggested that such methods could be a viable operational strategy for players and teams in the current era, particularly for players who take pay cuts to help build competitive teams. However, he also acknowledged that some players might feel they have earned a larger contract and should not have to take a discount.
The NBA’s investigation into Gary Trent Jr.’s contract extension with the Milwaukee Bucks is ongoing, with an NBA spokesman confirming that the league is continuing to look into the matter.
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Source: sportsnet.ca
