Guards Kevin Porter Jr. and Gary Trent Jr. are both hitting the market this offseason, with the latter now having interest from other teams, according to the rumor mill. The widespread interest puts pressure on the Milwaukee Bucks front office to keep hold of him.
Trent signed a one-year minimum deal with the Bucks last offseason, and he more than repaid that deal. Now, he has proven that he deserves a payday, and the Bucks can't afford to let him walk. NBA insider Jake Fischer (subscription required) reported that Trent has many suitors, but there is no confirmation yet on who those teams are.
Bucks must keep Trent, otherwise they won't be able to replace him
The 26-year-old guard started the season in the backcourt alongside his former Portland Trail Blazers teammate Damian Lillard, before moving to the bench and being a real burst of offense when the Bucks needed it. For the season, he averaged 11.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and a steal on shooting splits of .431/.416/.848.
In the playoffs, he proved to be one of the Milwaukee Bucks' most valuable players, averaging 18.8 points and 2.6 steals on 50 percent shooting from deep. Sadly, the moment that stands out is when he turned the ball over late in Game 5, allowing the Indiana Pacers to make an improbable comeback in the dying embers of the game.
Nobody on the court for the Bucks showed themselves in a good light in that moment. Trent has shown that he can be a trustworthy contributor to play alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and Lillard. He is always available, works hard defensively, and can score at all three levels. Keeping him would take some weight off Giannis' shoulders on offense, and the Bucks will have to pay up for it.
There isn't a ton of flexibility for the Bucks financially, but Porter is expected to opt out of his player option, Brook Lopez looks set to likely walk, and the Kyle Kuzma trade did open up some room to keep hold of Trent. They need guys they know can contribute, and Trent is that. It looks like Giannis wants to stay, but more poor decisions in terms of roster building could easily change that.
If Trent does go elsewhere, the market is not littered with good guard scorers. Caris LeVert is perhaps the only one who can give you a similar impact for a similar price. If the Milwaukee Bucks don't have either, then you either make a trade or hope there is someone who changes their career trajectory entirely to become the scorer the Milwaukee Bucks want.
Milwaukee's most important piece of business this offseason might well be keeping Gary Trent Jr. The pressure is now on the front office, with other teams targeting the guard.