The NBA has opened an investigation on Gary Trent Jr.’s four-year, $64 million agreement with the Milwaukee Bucks for a possible salary cap violation, a league spokesman told ESPN on Thursday.
Trent, who spent the last two seasons in Milwaukee, re-signed on Saturday and paperwork was filed with the league on Thursday.
After 2 1/2 seasons in Portland (2018-21) and parts of four in Toronto (2021-24) Trent, 27, signed for the league minimum in Milwaukee in the summer of 2024. Prior to the start of the 2025-26 campaign, he inked a two-year $7.5 million contract with the Bucks, which paid him $3.7 million during the ’25-26 season.
The deal also established his Early Bird rights, which permits teams to re-sign a player even if they are over the salary cap.
Trent averaged 8.1 points last season, his lowest figure since his rookie year in Portland.
However, he opted out of his player option to become a free agent and will be set to earn $15.2 million in 2026-27.
The NBA’s collective bargaining agreement contains a clause against “prior agreement,” which the Bucks may have violated.
NBA executives had suspected that Trent had earned below his value last season, sources told ESPN. His current contract would exceed that perceived value.
Trent averaged 18.3 and 17.4 points per game for Toronto in 2021-22 and 2022-23, respectively. He’s averaged 13.0 points per game in his career and shot 38.7% from behind the arc in 480 career games (231 starts).
He excelled for the Bucks in the 2024-25 playoffs, averaging 18.8 points per game and converting 22 of 44 shots from 3-point range in five games.
The NBA has not voided a contract since taking that action against the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2000. Minnesota inked a secret, illegal agreement with Joe Smith, promising a multi-year, multi-million extension, which was to begin in 2001.
Smith had played three previous seasons on minimum contacts.
–Field Level Media
