Doc Rivers has seemingly stopped flirting with marksman's return to rotation

Following the NBA Trade Deadline, Gary Trent Jr. lost his role in the Milwaukee Bucks' rotation entirely.
He had already been phased out of the starting lineup. Now, he is firmly planted on the bench, getting to his feet only for garbage time.

Briefly, it seemed Doc Rivers was flirting with the idea of giving Trent his job back. After two straight DNPs, though, that looks more like the result of injury-induced desperation than a vote of confidence from his head coach. 

Rivers quickly discarded notion of restoring Trent's role 

In a win over Utah, the Bucks' sole victory in their last eight games, Trent didn't spend long on the court, but he was deployed for a meaningful shift early on - not just for mop-up duty. Then, last weekend against the Magic, his 25 minutes played were his most since February 1. Trent went 4-for-12 for nine points, including 1-of-9 from deep. 

Evidently, Rivers had decided that his veteran guard deserved another shot. 

Sike! Trent registered a DNP when Giannis Antetokounmpo returned two days later, and he stayed put again versus Miami. That game featured Kevin Porter Jr.'s own return from knee swelling. 

Not playing is what Trent has done a lot of ever since the Bucks added Ousmane Dieng and Cam Thomas around the trade deadline. Subtracting Cole Anthony and Amir Coffey hardly affected the rotation; they were out of it, anyway. 

With two new faces on the roster, Trent lost his already diminished role altogether. Between February 6 and the Jazz game on March 7, he logged four additional DNPs and made seven appearances as a member of the cleanup crew in blowouts. That's it.

A disappointing season is winding down for both Trent and the Bucks 

Perhaps he'll have his next chance soon. Formal elimination from the playoff chase is ticking closer. Maybe the Bucks will finally start resting Giannis. Porter could use some time off his feet as well, given his multitude of sideline stints this season. 

If he so chose, Rivers could use that opening as an opportunity to reward Trent for being a professional throughout a roller-coaster season. If there's one thing that can be said of Trent, it's that he's always available when needed. 

His struggles, of course, are what landed him on the bench in the first place. Fans were so excited to see the Bucks roll out a starting five featuring both Trent and AJ Green, but that arrangement was swiftly exposed for its lack of size. The team gave him time to shoot himself out of an early slump, but he never found his rhythm. 

Trent was inefficient even while playing regularly. His season averages are career lows across the board: 7.5 points per game on 38 percent from the floor and 35.3 percent beyond the arc. He has been shockingly poor defensively. 

The 2025-26 season has not been the success that anyone in Milwaukee imagined, for the team or Trent individually. Both sides will make the best of the remaining games and hope for better luck next year, whatever that looks like in 2026-27.