The NBA is investigating the Milwaukee Bucks for giving Gary Trent Jr. a four-year, $64 million contract this summer, and the 27-year-old guard didn’t even get a chance to justify his new deal, at least on his first try this season.
In Milwaukee’s 128-116 opening loss to the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, Trent didn’t play a single minute, as head coach Taylor Jenkins opted to roll with his young players, including the haul they received from the Miami Heat in their blockbuster trade.
Why are the Milwaukee Bucks being investigated for the Gary Trent Jr. deal
The timing of giving Gary Trent Jr. a new lucrative contract is off, as the Milwaukee Bucks did it after parting ways with club legend Giannis Antetokounmpo. He just had a down year in 2025-26, averaging only 8.1 points on 38.7 percent shooting in 65 regular-season appearances.
Trent only played in two preseason matches since getting the bag, and the Duke product failed to impress. After producing 11 points on 3-for-9 shooting in Milwaukee’s 116-97 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, he laid a goose egg in their 105-90 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.
Milwaukee Bucks GM once defended Gary Trent Jr.’s new contract
During Media Day, Milwaukee Bucks general manager Jon Horst defended Gary Trent Jr.’s extension, saying that the former No. 37 pick is integral to their long-term project. Still, that won’t stop the NBA from checking whether all parties involved conspired to circumvent the league’s salary cap rules.
“Only 27 years old. Was big for us in playoff moments, so there’s a big belief in Gary for what we think matters, and that’s elite shooting in the NBA that’s hard to find. It’s something that Taylor (Jenkins) values, and I think he’s even going to maximize more with us, so it was a great opportunity for us to do that, and we acted on it,” Horst said about Trent last month.