Gary Trent Jr.’s name has once again popped up trade talks ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline.
It’s become a bit of an annual tradition by now. Trent’s tenure with the Toronto Raptors has been written off over and over again. He was thought to be on his way out of town last year at the trade deadline and again in the summer, but the 25-year-old has remained through it all.
This time, though, Trent is heading toward unrestricted free agency and he is among the Raptors players most frequently mentioned in trade talks, according to Matt Moore of the Action Network. The Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets are said to be among the teams with interest.
Trent has had a down year this season, averaging just 11.7 points, the lowest number since his sophomore campaign. That said, his three-point shooting remains impressive, sitting at 41.5% and he could certainly add some offensive firepower off the bench for a playoff team.
He’s set to earn $18.6 million this year, making it a little difficult to find a trade with the Lakers. Los Angeles would have to trade at least one of D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, or Gabe Vincent, all of whom have long-term contracts which would restrict Toronto’s flexibility moving forward.
A deal with the Nets is a little easier as Brooklyn has multiple avenues to match salaries. The Nets have multiple first-round picks from Phoenix along with a 2029 pick from Dallas as well as multiple future second-round picks that could entice Toronto into a deal.
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