Gary Trent Jr. signed one of the more eyebrow-raising contracts of the NBA offseason, and now the league is taking a closer look at whether the deal was entirely above board.
The NBA has opened an investigation into the four-year, $64 million agreement between Trent and the Milwaukee Bucks, examining whether the contract violated the league’s rules against prior agreement, a form of salary cap circumvention. The deal was officially submitted to the league on Thursday morning, just as questions about its legitimacy were already circulating among rival front offices.
The central issue is the disconnect between what Trent earned and how he performed. The 27-year-old guard averaged 8.1 points on 38.7 percent shooting during the 2025-26 season, his worst statistical output since appearing in just 15 games as a rookie back in the 2018-19 campaign. Despite those numbers, he is set to earn $15.2 million in the coming season alone.
How the Bucks got here
The path to this contract began two summers ago. Trent signed for the league minimum ahead of the 2024-25 season and delivered genuine value, averaging 11.1 points on 43 percent shooting while contributing in the playoffs. The Bucks rewarded him with a two-year, $7.5 million deal before last season, which paid him just $3.7 million in the 2025-26 season. Crucially, that contract also established his early Bird rights, giving Milwaukee the ability to re-sign him even while operating over the salary cap.
He opted out of his player option this summer to hit free agency, and the Bucks moved quickly to bring him back at a rate far above what rival teams believed his market value to be. At least one other club had expressed interest in acquiring him through a sign-and-trade arrangement, but the Bucks retained the leverage of those Bird rights and used them.
Executives around the league had anticipated for months that Trent would return to Milwaukee, in part because observers suspected last season’s below-market deal was a calculated step toward a larger payday once the Bird rights were secured. That perception is precisely what the NBA is now examining.
What the rules say
The league’s collective bargaining agreement prohibits any form of prior agreement between a team and a player, meaning contracts cannot be negotiated or promised in advance outside the official free agency window. The concern, in the view of rival executives, is that the guard may have accepted an underpaid deal with a mutual understanding that a significantly richer contract was waiting on the other side.
The most referenced precedent for this kind of investigation dates to 2000, when the league penalized the Minnesota Timberwolves after uncovering a secret agreement with center Joe Smith. Minnesota had signed Smith to three consecutive minimum contracts while allegedly promising him a multiyear, multimillion-dollar extension set to begin in the 2001-02 season. The franchise faced severe sanctions and had the arrangement voided.
Whether the Trent situation reaches that threshold remains to be seen. No findings have been announced and no penalties have been issued. The NBA has only confirmed that a review is underway.
A crowded roster waiting for answers
Beyond the investigation, Trent faces a more immediate practical question about where he fits on a suddenly deep Milwaukee roster. The Bucks entered the offseason already carrying Ryan Rollins, Kevin Porter Jr. and AJ Green in the backcourt. They then acquired Tyler Herro, Kasparas Jakucionis and Caris LeVert through trades and added Brayden Burries with the 10th overall pick in the draft.
With that much competition for minutes at the guard position, Trent’s role in Milwaukee is uncertain even if the contract ultimately survives league scrutiny. For now, the Bucks and their newest signing are waiting on two things at once, a resolution from the league office and a clear picture of what next season actually holds.
