Toronto Raptors wing Gary Trent Jr. is opting into his player option for next season, the team announced on Tuesday. Here’s what you need to know:
- The option is worth $18.6 million and is the third year of a deal he signed with Toronto after being acquired from Portland.
- Trent averaged 17.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game last season for Toronto.
- The 24-year-old shot 36.9 percent from 3 on 6.8 attempts per game.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
Was this a surprise?
Trent’s decision was truly one of the hardest ones on the board when it came to player options. He had a disappointing season last year, moving back and forth from the starting group to the bench. The second unit struggled to keep the Raptors in games all year long, even if Trent had his moments. His 3-point percentage took a slight hit compared to 2021-22, but his biggest slippage was on defense.
Advertisement
It’s a bit of a surprise he didn’t take the opportunity to sign a new long-term contract via the open market, but he’s still extension-eligible with the Raptors. The Raptors can offer him an extension with a maximum starting salary of about $26 million in 2024-25 this offseason. — Koreen
What does this say about the Raptors’ offseason plans?
The attention now turns to Fred VanVleet, who declined to pick up his player option for next season, and will be an unrestricted free agent in July. It was always going to be a squeeze in order to sign all three of VanVleet, Trent and Jakob Poeltl on the open market while staying under the luxury-tax threshold.
With Trent opting in, the Raptors now have nine players under contract making $112.35 million (including $1 million guaranteed for Thaddeus Young in a buyout scenario). Add in minimum salaries and a first-round draft pick, and the Raptors will have in the neighborhood of $42 million or so to re-sign VanVleet or Poeltl. They are destined to earn more than that next year, so either the Raptors move another contract to make room for them, or both players aren’t coming back to Toronto. VanVleet figures to have more suitors in free agency than Poeltl. — Koreen
GO DEEPER
Zach Harper's NBA Mock Draft: Picks, biggest needs, trade expectations
Backstory
A five-star prospect out of high school, Trent went on to play for Coach K at Duke. He averaged 14.5 points per game while shooting 40 percent from 3-point range in his lone season in Durham.
Trent ended up being a second-round pick in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Kings before being traded to the Trail Blazers. After three seasons in Portland, Trent was dealt to the Raptors in a deal for Norman Powell.
Required reading
- End-of-season Raptors report card is stingy on high marks: We the ninth
- Raptors report: Gary Trent Jr. and Chris Boucher thrive off bench
(Photo: Vaughn Ridley / NBAE via Getty Images)