The Milwaukee Bucks’ offseason acquisition of Gary Trent Jr. has attracted NBA attention. The league is investigating the four-year, $64 million deal between the Bucks and Trent for potential cap circumvention — a question mark hanging over how the franchise structured one of its biggest free-agent signings.
The salary structure is the real puzzle. Trent pulled in $18.5 million during the 2023-24 season, then dropped sharply to $2.6 million in 2024-25 before ticking back up to $3.6 million in 2025-26. Over four years, the deal averages $16 million annually — a number that doesn’t match the year-to-year breakdown, hinting at deferred compensation or creative accounting arrangements.
What Trent’s actually done on court adds another dimension. In 2025-26, he averaged 8.1 points and shot 36 percent from the field. Those numbers don’t scream “$64 million investment” for a team chasing a title.
The Bucks aren’t alone under the microscope. The NBA is also reviewing a trade that would send Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors from the Los Angeles Clippers, showing the league is scrutinizing multiple moves across the offseason.