People can say what they want about Doc Rivers, but there's just no denying that he's an underrated recruiter of talent. Players have consistently raved about Rivers, and the head coach was reportedly the driving factor in Gary Trent Jr. coming to the Milwaukee Bucks last offseason. Gary Trent Sr. told the story of Rivers' recruitment on a new episode of the Hear District podcast.
"I would take my son to the games, living in Minnesota. Doc would always ask me when Jr. was little, 'How your boy doing? How your boy doing?' So, I already had a relationship with Doc. Doc called and was telling me, 'Look, man, I'll put your son in a great opportunity. I'll put your son in a situation to succeed.'
Then, I knew he went into the bag of tricks real deep because me and [Kevin Garnett] talk a lot... He called my phone like about two in the morning. We did a bunch of talking, and then he said, 'Aye, man, you know Doc hit me, right?' I was like, 'Ahh, I know what this is. It sealed the deal when Doc came and saw him... There were a couple of other opportunities out there, but I don't know if they were going to be as grand."
Bucks have Doc Rivers to thank for Gary Trent Jr.
Based on Trent Sr.'s story, it appears that Doc Rivers has had eyes on Trent Jr. long before convincing him to join the Milwaukee Bucks. When the opportunity presented itself to finally bring him in, Rivers had to pounce on it with an in-person recruiting pitch. A little motivation from Kevin Garnett, one of the fieriest players in the history of the game, might have helped Sr. convince Jr.
Getting Gary Trent Jr. on a minimum deal last summer was shocking when it happened, and it may have been even more stunning when he returned this past free agency on a slightly larger contract. The sharpshooting guard is undeniably worth more than that, but he clearly understands that this is an opportunity for him to play a legitimate role and contend.
Trent Sr. acknowledged that there were other opportunities out there for his son. It wouldn't be too surprising if they involved more money. Yet, Trent Jr. believed in Milwaukee's vision and decided to sacrifice that. Even after how turbulent last season was, with the wing's role all over the place, the youngster decided to return for a minimal raise. He clearly still believes in what they have going on.
Trent Jr. feels destined for a larger role next season, especially after his explosive showing during the NBA Playoffs. With the roster constructed as it currently is, he should be penciled in as the two guard starter from the jump next season. He's the perfect fit with Giannis Antetokounmpo and could give this team a needed scoring jolt with no clear-cut No. 2 in town.
For the second year in a row, the Milwaukee Bucks have the biggest steal of the summer. One could argue they have several of them in tow, but Gary Trent Jr. remains the largest. It'll be fascinating to see who else Doc Rivers can potentially convince to join the Bucks in the foreseeable future.
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