Milwaukee — The NBA has opened an inquiry into the Milwaukee Bucks’ four-year, $64 million contract with veteran wing Gary Trent Jr., a league spokesperson confirmed to ESPN’s Shams Charania on Monday.
The Bucks announced earlier in the day that Trent, 27, had officially re-signed. Every dollar of the deal is guaranteed, placing it among the eight largest guaranteed commitments on this summer’s free-agent market.
Contract size sparks league questions
Front-office executives around the league expressed surprise because Trent is coming off one of the least productive seasons of his career. In 2025-26 he averaged 8.1 points in 21.2 minutes over 65 games, shooting 38.7% from the field and 36.0% from beyond the arc. His role shrank after the All-Star break, and he recorded several coach’s-decision DNPs.
Comparable role players such as John Collins and Rui Hachimura secured similar annual salaries this offseason but received only one fully guaranteed year. Only seven free agents have landed more than Trent’s $64 million in guaranteed money.
Timeline under the microscope
Trent’s recent contract history has drawn additional scrutiny. After finishing a three-year, $52 million deal in 2024, he accepted the veteran minimum with Milwaukee. The following summer he re-upped for 20% above the minimum on a Non-Bird exception. With Early Bird rights now available, the Bucks could offer a significant raise despite his downturn and a crowded backcourt that now includes Tyler Herro, Kasparas Jakucionis, Brayden Burries, Ryan Rollins, Kevin Porter Jr. and A.J. Green.
Four years at $64 million is only a few million shy of the maximum allowed under the Early Bird exception for 2026-27 (approximately $68.3 million). If the league determines Milwaukee promised such a contract in 2024 or 2025 before having the cap mechanism to deliver it, the arrangement would be considered salary-cap circumvention, an offense that can result in fines and forfeited draft picks.
Burden of proof remains high
The NBA typically requires clear evidence before imposing penalties. Milwaukee could argue that Trent’s 2025-26 performance was an outlier and that his new salary aligns with the market he established when he earned more than $17 million annually from 2021-24. The Bucks and Trent’s representatives can also contend that he willingly took below-market deals in consecutive years to chase a championship with Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Charania reported this week that another organization explored a sign-and-trade for Trent at a similar salary figure, potentially reinforcing Milwaukee’s claim that the contract reflects league interest rather than an under-the-table promise. It is unclear whether that unidentified team was offering full guarantees or merely trying to shift unwanted salary.
Similar pattern with Bobby Portis
This is not the first time Milwaukee has progressed a player through minimum, Non-Bird and Early Bird deals. Bobby Portis signed for $3.6 million in 2020 after making $15 million the previous year, re-signed for $4.3 million in 2021 via Non-Bird rights and then inked a four-year, $48.6 million Early Bird contract in 2022.
The league’s review of Trent’s contract is ongoing. No timetable for a resolution has been provided.
Source: Hoops Rumors
