NBA Reviews Four-Year, $64 Million Bucks Contract With Gary Trent Jr. for Salary Cap Compliance

The NBA is investigating a four-year, $64 million deal between Gary Trent Jr. and the Milwaukee Bucks for possible salary cap circumvention, a league spokesperson told ESPN. The contract was officially announced and submitted to the NBA on Thursday morning.

Trent, 27, is set to receive a significant pay raise despite averaging 8.1 points on 38.7 percent shooting during the 2025-26 season. Trent signed for the league minimum in the summer of 2024. He then agreed to a two-year, $7.5 million contract with the Bucks before the 2025-26 season that paid him $3.7 million and established his early Bird rights.

Trent opted out of his player option to become a free agent this summer. The new deal will pay him $15.2 million in the 2026-27 season. The league's collective bargaining agreement contains a clause against prior agreement.

Rival executives had expected Trent to re-sign with the Bucks for months, sources told ESPN. At least one other team expressed interest in a sign-and-trade. The NBA previously voided a contract and issued penalties after an investigation into the Minnesota Timberwolves and Joe Smith in 2000.