Assessing The Athletic’s Gary Trent Jr. trade for the Milwaukee Bucks

The logic behind The Athletic’s trade proposal to see the Milwaukee Bucks land Gary Trent Jr.

There are plenty of reasons why Trent makes sense as a target for the Bucks, especially if they can get him in a package like this.

First and foremost, the Bucks need another player who can score the basketball. They have lacked consistency on offense all season and have ranked in the bottom portion of the league on that end of things for a majority of the season. Many will point to Khris Middleton’s absence for that, which has some merit. However, there is so much uncertainty surrounding Middleton right now and how he might look when he returns that the Bucks could benefit from adding another scoring threat to bolster their efforts in that regard.

Trent has been a lethal scorer throughout his career, and he is currently in the middle of a career year by averaging 18.5 points per game. Adding the wing would give the Bucks a legitimate third or fourth scoring option to bulk up this offense and simultaneously improve their 3-point shooting. Milwaukee’s subpar perimeter shooting has been a big reason for troubles on offense, and adding Trent, who has shot 38.4 percent from three on 6.3 attempts per contest in his career, would help. Trent would be the perfect kick-out partner for Giannis Antetokounmpo on the perimeter à la Bryn Forbes and Kyle Korver, but much more lethal.

Now that it’s been established why Trent would be a good fit in Milwaukee, it is time to evaluate the package that would see them get him. Grayson Allen has been Milwaukee’s starting shooting guard for the better part of two seasons now, but the Bucks have not hesitated to include him in trade talks. Trent would be an upgrade over Allen in the starting five due to the scoring punch he would bring to the table, so including the guard would be feasible. George Hill and Jordan Nwora have been in and out of Milwaukee’s rotation this season, and with no clear roles, it would make sense if the team moved them for a big piece like Trent.

The first round pick is what the Raptors would covet the most in this trade. Although it is several years down the line, it could be incredibly valuable. While it is one of the few remaining first round picks the Bucks currently possess, including it in a trade like this would make sense. The Bucks are in win-now mode and do not want to waste Giannis Antetokounmpo’s prime years in the NBA, so moving that pick would be justifiable. On the flip side, the Raptors would get a first round pick, two young players under contract next season in Allen and Nwora, and an expiring veteran in Hill for an upcoming free agent whose future with the team is uncertain, which could be a solid return.