Bucks' prized free agent is nearing sad ending chapter in Milwaukee

At almost no point this season has Gary Trent Jr. been the contributor the Milwaukee Bucks hoped. The two-year, $7.6 million contract he signed last summer was hailed as a steal. Coming off a solid first season in Milwaukee and an epic playoff series against the Pacers, optimism was justified. 

The results have not borne out those hopes. Any chance of a redeeming finish is fading before fans' eyes. No longer a regular member of the rotation, Trent has painfully failed to capitalize on recent opportunities. He just looks lost. 

He does not figure to be a key piece in the future, and with a cheap player option in 2026-27, there is nothing to keep him in Milwaukee. Frankly, the Bucks have little reason to bring him back. It's not what anyone envisioned, but this seems like the end of the road for both sides. 

2025-26 was not the encore Trent or the Bucks banked on

Trent's slump dragged on until most of the season had gone by. He lost his job in the starting lineup, then disappeared from the mix altogether. He still hasn't found his stroke. It's not a slump anymore, just a lost season. 

His head coach, Doc Rivers, can't decide what to do with him. When Trent gets chances, he keeps coming up short. In his last three appearances, his first time getting double-digit minutes in over a month, he is 3-for-19 from deep for 17 total points. 

Overall this season, Trent is contributing 7.4 points per game, one rebound, and 0.5 steals per game. He has shot 37.6 percent from the floor and 34.7 percent beyond the arc. Those are all his lowest figures since his rookie year.

That is the opposite of what the Bucks were counting on. After an efficient 2024-25 campaign in which Trent made threes at a 41.6 percent clip, many fans expected him to take on a larger role given the wide open opportunity on Milwaukee's roster. 

Could he get back to his days in Toronto, where he averaged 17.4 points per game as recently as 2022-23? The combined 70 points he dropped in two playoff games against Indiana were fresh on everyone's mind. At the very least, an appreciable increase in volume seemed to be in the cards. 

Dismal season should have both sides eyeing the exits

Instead, Trent shot himself out of the rotation. Even more puzzlingly, his defense has been a glaring negative. He isn't coming up with steals. He isn't scrapping his way to random rebounds. It's all gone out the window, from a guy Bucks fans thought might be the team's second-leading scorer. 

Even if Trent picks up his player option, which at $3.8 million is barely above league minimum, the front office would just look for ways to trade him. From Trent's perspective, why would he come back? His seat won't be saved. The team will likely lean into its young core next season, whether or not Giannis Antetokounmpo remains in Milwaukee.

Maybe Trent goes elsewhere and enjoys a renaissance. That's perfectly possible, and hopefully he does. It's just unlikely to happen here. The Bucks didn't want to send him limping out the door, but sadly, that's what it has come to.