As the NBA investigates his contract for potential cap circumvention, Gary Trent Jr. had a chance to quiet the noise in the preseason. The Milwaukee Bucks stand by the fact that they believe Trent was worth the $64 million they handed him, and this was his opportunity to prove them right. Yet, Trent's performance was troubling, making his contract all the uglier.
Trent picks up where he left off
The guard only played two games, which limited his time to get into a groove, but his struggles were apparent from the jump. In that span, he averaged just 5.5 points, shooting an abysmal 17.6 percent from the floor. Among all players across the NBA Preseason to shoot at least 15 shot attempts, Trent had the worst field goal percentage at 17.6 percent. Ouch.
Trent's role will revolve around his jumper. In the past, he's proven to be an elite marksman, but he can also knock down mid-rangers as well. That wasn't the case in the preseason, shooting just 3-of-15 on his jump shots. The Milwaukee Bucks won't ask Trent to facilitate or orchestrate the offense too often, so when his shot isn't falling, his overall productivity takes a major hit, as evidenced by his numbers.
Tren'ts role is unclear with Bucks
Playing just 31.8 total minutes across the preseason, trailing even two-way players like Cormac Ryan and Kam Jones, there is no telling where Trent will fit in Milwaukee's rotation. Given how much money they handed him, one would think he'd be penciled into a bench role, but if that were the case, he likely would have played a larger role in the preseason.
Could Milwaukee's new $64 million man really start the season out of the rotation? With the league looking into Trent's new deal, potentially thinking it had been promised to him ahead of time, Taylor Jenkins benching him could be a foreboding sign. Just as the Milwaukee Bucks appear to be on the right track in this retooling, any evidence of wrongdoing could see them take many steps back.
There is still plenty of time for a Gary Trent Jr. redemption story. The Milwaukee Bucks plan on taking many 3-pointers this season, and all it takes is for one of them to fall for Trent to get into a rhythm. As a potentially franchise-altering punishment looms, the Bucks better hope Trent heats up and can add some merit to retaining him at this hefty price.
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