Gary Trent Jr.’s arrival at the Bucks caps a summer of quality, under-the-radar transfers

It took two and a half weeks, but the Milwaukee Bucks filled their three roster spots in free agency. The player they signed with their final roster spot might be the one who makes the biggest impact.

With that last spot, the Bucks agreed to a one-year minimum contract with Gary Trent Jr., a 25-year-old guard who spent the last three and a half seasons with the Toronto Raptors and could easily be Milwaukee’s starting guard next season. Trent averaged 13.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game in 71 appearances (41 starts) in Toronto last season and shot 39.3 percent from three-point range on 6.4 attempts per game. Throughout his six-year NBA career, Trent has shown the ability to consistently make shots and compete on defense for more than 30 minutes a night.

Trent could be a valuable addition to the Bucks’ lineup. And they pulled it off more than two weeks into free agency.

As the Bucks’ starting guard last season, Malik Beasley was one of the league’s best shooters. But there’s plenty of reason to believe Trent can fill the same role if he’s put in a much better environment with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard in Milwaukee. While playing with a much smaller group of creators in Toronto, Trent was one of 17 players in the league to attempt at least six three-pointers per game and made at least 39 percent of them last season.

Looking at Trent’s 3-point shooting portfolio, it’s important to note that over 82 percent of his 3-point attempts have come from above the fast break, like the one in the video above. While this may not matter to some teams, it’s something the Bucks have prioritized as they try to maximize spacing around Antetokounmpo. Due to the intense pressure Antetokounmpo brings to the rim, the easiest way to create space for him is to increase the distance of a three-point shot relative to a shooter. The only place to do this is above the fast break.

Along with Lillard, Trent will also need to be able to shoot three-pointers from the corners. Last season, Beasley made a career-high 31 percent of his shot attempts (228) from the corners, and he made 46 percent of his attempts. Three-pointers have not been a strong suit for Trent throughout his career. Last season, on just 80 attempts, Trent shot just 36 percent from the corners.

That could change once Trent, who spent two-plus seasons with Portland to start his career, can play with Lillard again because there’s no doubting Trent’s ability as a shooter.

Trent was a real force with the Raptors last season. Toronto’s offensive options were more limited than the Bucks’, so Trent likely received more defensive attention last season than he will in Milwaukee. Even if teams decide to aggressively defend Trent, the Duke sharpshooter can still get organized quickly and shoot three-pointers.

In the playoffs, teams deny opportunities to players who can only shoot three-pointers. To consistently beat playoff defenses, top shooters must be able to either attack closeouts and maintain the advantage created by the team’s superstars, or create their own advantages. With his size and athleticism, Trent was able to do this with one-dribble three-pointers, mid-range pull-ups, floaters, and occasionally driving to the basket.

While most of Trent’s value comes from his offensive end, there are signs that he might be able to provide a bit more defensive value if he were given the opportunity to focus more on that end in a solid system with the Bucks.

Under former coach Nick Nurse, the Raptors built their defense around doing everything they could to create maximum chaos and force turnovers. Trent thrived in that system, especially during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, where he averaged 1.8 steals per game. Trent is instinctive when jumping into passing lanes and looking for steals, so he can make high-impact plays when he takes risks.

Bucks coach Doc Rivers will expect him to focus more on being solid on defense than helping the team create more turnovers. While the Bucks could certainly benefit from that, any defense built around the rim protection of Antetokounmpo and center Brook Lopez will need edge defenders to focus on staying in front of the ball handlers and making things as difficult as possible.

It hasn’t always been a strong point for Trent, but there have been times. In his first playoff appearance with the Trail Blazers in his second season with Lillard, Trent proved to be a nuisance for LeBron James as Portland faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

Trent hasn’t been able to maintain that level of concentration on the ball throughout his career, though. Part of that may be due to the environment he’s been in, especially over the last three and a half seasons with the Raptors. Trent will need to find a way to be more consistent on defense with the Bucks. With a 6-foot-10 wingspan, Trent has the size and athleticism to be a better defensive player, but he’ll need to improve to truly make an impact on both ends.

Much like Beasley last season, the Bucks got a player who can start at guard and shoot three-pointers at a high rate, which should provide real value for a minimum contract. While Bucks general manager Jon Horst raised eyebrows by selecting two teenagers in the NBA draft, he pulled off the improbable by signing three proven players with only minimum contracts at his disposal this offseason.

With Trent able to slot into the starting five, the Bucks can now bring their top two free agents, Delon Wright and Taurean Prince, off the bench, where their size and versatility can help Rivers round out a more complete rotation. Rather than having to start at shooting guard next to Lillard and then also fill in as a backup point guard, Wright can more easily replace Lillard at point guard and also provide much-needed energy to the Bucks’ defensive effort. Prince will have the chance to slot into multiple lineups at both forward positions and help the Bucks play both big and small.

It may not have been spectacular, but the Bucks’ depth chart looks better than last season, as Trent, Wright and Prince essentially took the spots occupied by Beasley, Patrick Beverley and Jae Crowder at the end of the season.

The Bucks’ offseason changes made them bigger, younger, and more athletic for next season. And with all three additions being above-average three-point shooters, they should have a shot at the playoffs, if they can survive on defense. It won’t be headline-grabbing like some other Eastern Conference teams, but capped off by the Trent signing, Horst has had a solid, low-key offseason.

But ultimately, the only thing that will matter to the Bucks in the playoffs will be the health of their key players. But given the team’s financial constraints as a second-tier team, the Bucks’ roster is more talented and more fit than last season, which was something that was hard to expect at the start of the summer.

(Photo by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Gary Trent Jr.: Mark Blinch/NBAE via Getty Images)