Bucks sign Gary Trent Jr. to 1-year deal
Former Toronto Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr. has agreed to a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, his representation told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Trent will reunite with his former Portland Trail Blazers teammate Damian Lillard in Milwaukee. The tandem played 2.5 seasons together before Portland traded Trent and Rodney Hood to the Raptors for Norman Powell in 2021.
The 25-year-old averaged 13.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game with the Raptors last season. He shot 39% from three, making 2.5 per game. However, it was a relatively down campaign for the Duke product as he averaged 17.4 points per contest in Toronto in 2022-23.
Trent is the Bucks' biggest signing in free agency up to this point. They also added veterans Delon Wright and Taurean Prince. Milwaukee lost Malik Beasley to the Detroit Pistons, while Patrick Beverley plans to sign with Israel's Hapoel Tel Aviv.
The Bucks finished 49-33 last season, including 17-19 with coach Doc Rivers, and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Indiana Pacers. Franchise star Giannis Antetokounmpo missed the postseason due to a calf injury.
The Raptors pivoted to other options on the perimeter, drafting Baylor guard Ja'Kobe Walter with the 19th pick and exercising Bruce Brown's player option for next season.