The NBA has officially told multiple outlets it will "look into" Gary Trent Jr.'s fully guaranteed four-year, $64 million contract with the Milwaukee Bucks. This is no shock to anyone paying attention, because as soon as news of this deal broke, salary cap circumvention allegations rained down on the Bucks from fans and media alike. For real, this deal just doesn't add up, and the league is taking it seriously.
8.1 PPG and $64 Million? What Are We Missing?
Seriously, can we talk about this guy's stats for a minute? Trent is coming off the worst season of his career, plain and simple. He averaged a measly 8.1 points in 21.2 minutes per game and even fell out of Milwaukee's rotation at one point. Forget offense, he's a complete non-factor as a defender, rebounder, and passer. And get this: the Bucks already have way more guards than they have minutes to play them with. So why drop $64 million on a guy whose production is, let's be honest, pretty minimal? His recent contract history makes this even crazier. In 2024, his best offers were for the minimum salary. He signed that minimum deal with the Bucks. Then in 2025, he got a 20% raise on that minimum through Non-Bird Rights. The 2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement was supposed to make NBA finances tighter, with teams less willing to hand out pricey, long-term deals. Based purely on merit, Trent should have been looking at another minimum or near-minimum contract. Instead, he snagged a massive $64 million. It's wild, right?The Bird Rights Play That Raised Eyebrows
So, how did this even happen? The whole theory revolves around the intricate world of Bird Rights. When a team signs an outside free agent, they need cap space or a cap exception. But to keep their own guys, there's a ladder: after one year, you get Non-Bird Rights for a 20% raise. After two years, it's Early Bird Rights, allowing a 75% raise or 105% of the league's average salary, whichever is higher. And after three years, full Bird Rights let you pay up to the max. Back in 2024, Trent was a free agent who had just finished a three-year, $51 million deal, and he was expected to get paid similarly again. But his market dried up, with offers reportedly around the taxpayer mid-level exception of $5.2 million. The Bucks were deep into the luxury tax, capped out, and could only offer him the minimum. He took that minimum deal in Milwaukee, reportedly to reunite with Damian Lillard and chase a championship. Then in 2025, he stayed using Non-Bird Rights. And now, in 2026, boom! He re-signed for $64 million, a figure just $4 million below the maximum allowable under the Early Bird Rights system. It looks super fishy to a lot of people, and clearly, the NBA agrees. What happens next? The league is "looking into" it, and you know they don't do that for nothing. If there's any funny business with the salary cap, the Bucks could be in for some serious trouble. We'll be watching closely to see how this investigation unfolds.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.