Quietly, the Milwaukee Bucks have had a pretty good offseason.
The latest addition is veteran wing Gary Trent, a solid wing who averaged 13.7 points a game shooting 39.3% from 3 for the Toronto Raptors last season, a story broken by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Free agent G Gary Trent Jr. has agreed on a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, Rich Paul and Lucas Newton of @klutchsports tell ESPN. Trent reunites with Damian Lillard and joins a Bucks organization that recruited him hard to chase a title with them. pic.twitter.com/jXmQuCcRMx
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 16, 2024
This is a fantastic deal for the Bucks at the minimum. The Lakers were among the other teams interested in Trent Jr., but the Bucks could offer a starting role.
Trent is a wing used to playing off the ball who can knock down catch-and-shoot 3s (especially above the break), attack closeouts, and has been a solid if inconsistent defender (he fits the mold Malik Beasley played for the Bucks last year). Trent should slide into a starting role at the two, with Damian Lillard at the point and then a front line of Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez.
The Bucks’ other offseason additions, veterans Delon Wright and Taurean Prince, can come off the bench with Bobby Portis, AJ Green, Andre Jackson and Pat Connaughton to form a deeper rotation than Milwaukee had a season ago. Milwaukee hopes the deeper bench can keep the minutes for Lillard and Antetokounmpo down so both can make it to the playoffs healthy, then the Bucks have at least a chance against the Celtics, Knicks, and 76ers.
It wasn’t flashy, but the Bucks had a solid offseason.
