Tag: Gary Trent Jr.

Lakers may make a trade closer to the start of the new season

Lakers fans disappointed and frustrated about the team’s lack of moves this summer will likely have to wait for something to happen.

More than two weeks have passed since the official start of NBA free agency, and the Los Angeles Lakers still haven’t made any moves — at all. While they have reportedly pursued a number of free agents, all of them have rejected the Lakers, making them look weak and possibly even incompetent when it comes to personnel moves.

On Tuesday, their latest free agent target spurned them when 3-and-D wing Gary Trent Jr. decided to join the Milwaukee Bucks on a one-year contract.

Perhaps one reason for this latest miss was the fact that they currently have a full roster of 15 players, and according to NBA rules, they cannot currently sign a free agent. They would have to trade away a couple of players on minimum contracts in order to be able to obtain a free agent, and doing so would be difficult, as Jovan Buha pointed out.

Via The Athletic:

“As things stand, the Lakers have a full roster of 15 players with guaranteed contracts. They’re also roughly $45,000 under the second apron of nearly $189 million. That combination means they can’t sign any players in free agency or add any additional players (or salary) in any trades. They have two first-round picks to trade (2029 and 2031), as well as multiple first-round swaps and second-round picks.

“The most straightforward way the Lakers can add talent is to make a consolidation trade. They can either send out more players than they receive in a deal or salary-dump [Cam] Reddish, [Christian] Wood and/or [Jaxson] Hayes, along with a second-round pick or two, onto a team with roster and financial flexibility. If the Lakers traded two minimum players (Wood, Hayes and Reddish would qualify), they’d have enough room under the second apron to sign a player to the $5.2 million taxpayer midlevel exception. They could also add a player in a trade or sign player(s) to minimum contracts.”

At a minimum, disappointed and frustrated Lakers fans will have to wait for such a move.

“Regardless, the Lakers expect to make a consolidation trade at some point, though that could come closer to the start of the season, according to league sources.”

As it stands now, the Lakers look like a good and possibly a very good team. But at best, they’re pretenders, and they need some help in the form of two-way backcourt or wing players and another serviceable center in order to move up into the NBA’s elite pantheon.

Lakers miss out on Gary Trent Jr. as he joins the Bucks

Yet another free agent has said no to the Lakers.

Other than the additions of 2024 draft picks Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, the Los Angeles Lakers’ roster right now looks almost identical to the one they finished this past season with. They had been interested in a few prominent free agents, particularly Klay Thompson and DeMar DeRozan, but they decided to join different teams.

The Lakers then reportedly targeted Gary Trent Jr., a 3-and-D guard who had spent the last three and a half seasons with the Toronto Raptors. They had limited financial resources to work with within the NBA’s new ultra-restrictive salary cap, which made plenty of people skeptical they could land Trent.

On Tuesday, Trent became the latest free agent to reject the Lakers, as he decided to accept a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks instead.

In the Bucks, he is joining a team that was a disappointment this past season but feels it has the players to go after an NBA championship next spring and summer.

Meanwhile, the Lakers, a franchise that has won 17 world titles and most recently claimed one in 2020, are increasingly taking on the look of a bridesmaid organization that simply cannot figure out how to properly execute a roster improvement plan.

A big impediment to the Lakers getting Gary Trent Jr.

The Lakers are reportedly interested in free agent 3-and-D wing Gary Trent Jr., but there is something big getting in their way right now.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ quiet, disappointing offseason continues, and there is no sign that they’re even getting close to finally obtaining a player from another team in free agency or via trade.

They reportedly have interest in trading for 2022-23 All-Star big man Lauri Markkanen and center Wendell Carter Jr. However, it would likely take a king’s ransom to land Markkanen, and Carter may not move the needle much.

Another player the Lakers have been looking to get is 3-and-D wing Gary Trent Jr. He is a free agent who made $18.56 million last season with the Toronto Raptors, and he would have to take a pay cut to join Los Angeles as an outright free agent signing.

NBA insider Marc Stein noted that as of now, Trent is not gettable for L.A. because of its salary cap situation.

Via Marc Stein’s Substack:

“One source close to the process cautioned this week that the Lakers, until they can move farther away from the second luxury tax apron, can’t even make a run at Trent … no matter how available he appears to be. The Lakers, remember, are only marginally distanced from the second apron after LeBron James signed a new two-year deal that was less than $3 million shy of the $104 million maximum he could have received.”

Stein added that the Lakers are trying to figure out a way to shed salary, perhaps by moving a couple of players on veteran’s minimum contracts, in order to be able to use their taxpayer mid-level exception. However, they may have to attach at least one second-round draft pick in order to successfully do so.

Trent is the type of player who may not make the Lakers a championship contender but could get them closer to that level. He averaged 13.7 points a game last season, and he has a career accuracy of 38.6 percent from 3-point range. He is also known as a strong defender, and at 6-foot-5, he has a solid 6-foot-9 wingspan.

Lakers could target Gary Trent Jr., Spencer Dinwiddie for mid-level exception

The Lakers could have two targets if they end up clearing enough salary cap space to have access to the taxpayer mid-level exception.

There was talk in recent days that perhaps LeBron James would take a pay cut on his next Los Angeles Lakers contract in order to allow the team to sign a difference-maker using their mid-level exception. However, one target after another said no to the Lakers, and James ended up officially signing on Saturday for a tad below the maximum salary they could’ve offered him.

As a result, they remain below the second apron of the NBA’s new ultra-restrictive salary cap.

If the Lakers do a bit of maneuvering, they could have access to their taxpayer mid-level exception. Per Jovan Buha and Shams Charania, Gary Trent Jr. and Spencer Dinwiddie could then be targets (h/t Lakers Daily).

Via The Athletic:

“LeBron James is taking a nearly $3 million discount to keep the Los Angeles Lakers under the dreaded second apron,” Buha and Charania wrote. “James is signing a two-year, $101.355 million deal instead of the two-year, $104 million maximum he could’ve re-signed for, according to league sources.

“Along with his player option and a no-trade clause, James’ contract also includes a 15 percent trade kicker, those sources said.

“James’ new contract puts the Lakers at just under the $188.9 million second apron. If the Lakers can salary dump a couple of their veteran minimum contracts — attaching a second-round pick to entice a trade partner — they’d create two roster spots and the flexibility to use the $5.2 million taxpayer midlevel exception. The Lakers have preferred to enter previous seasons with only 14 players on their roster for flexibility in trades and on the buyout market.

“Gary Trent Jr. and Spencer Dinwiddie are two names to watch for if the Lakers clear enough space to use their taxpayer midlevel exception, according to league sources.”

Trent is a 3-and-D wing who the Lakers have tried to obtain in the past. He averaged 13.7 points a game while hitting 39.3% from 3-point range this past season for the Toronto Raptors. At 6-foot-5, he would create a logjam at the shooting guard position for L.A., but he would likely be a better defender than Max Christie, Austin Reaves or first-round draft pick Dalton Knecht.

Dinwiddie came to the Lakers from the buyout market in February. The Southland native was a disappointment this past season while with L.A., but he has been productive in the past, and the hope is that he could return to that level of play under a better coaching staff.

Writer suggests Lakers go after Raptors free agent 3-and-D wing

Could this suggested offseason move help get the Lakers closer to championship contention?

The Los Angeles Lakers appear ready and prepared to head into free agency and trade season looking to secure an upgrade in the backcourt who can score, facilitate and perhaps create pace. Doing so would reduce LeBron James’ workload and allow him to continue to age gracefully.

But the Lakers also have at least one other need if they are to become championship contenders again: a legitimate 3-and-D wing.

The Toronto Raptors appear to be in full rebuild mode, and Gary Trent Jr. is about to become a free agent, which means there is always the chance they let him go.

If they do, Maxwell Ogden of Lake Show Life believes Trent would be a nice target for Los Angeles.

Via Lake Show Life:

“When a team is limited in its resources, one of the most essential aspects of a general manager’s job is the ability to think outside the box,” Ogden wrote. “For Los Angeles Lakers front office leader Rob Pelinka, that will mean finding players who could be better in the purple and gold than they were at previous stops.

“One of the players who Pelinka should be evaluating in that respect is Toronto Raptors swingman and pending unrestricted free agent Gary Trent Jr.”

For most of his six-year NBA career, Trent has maintained a reputation as a reliable 3-point shooter. He has a career mark of 38.6% from that distance, and this season, he was at 39.3%, which was his highest accuracy since the 2019-20 campaign.

Trent’s scoring average decreased by nearly four points a game this year. However, Ogden explained why his numbers dipped.

“Trent’s 2023-24 campaign was, unfortunately, impacted by a number of nagging injuries. Despite this, he was on the court for 71 of a possible 82 games this season, with the majority of the time he missed coming near the end of a lost Raptors season.

“Furthermore, Trent’s role was inevitably impacted when the Raptors traded OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam in exchange for three different players who occupy a similar position to Trent’s: RJ Barrett, Bruce Brown, and Immanuel Quickly.

“Learning how to play with three new players on the fly, let alone when they have a similar role to your own, is a tough task for anyone in the NBA—let alone a relatively young player.

“… It’s also worth noting that Trent took the influx of perimeter players in stride last season. Despite the decrease in his shot attempts, he increased his defensive intensity and shot the lights out at a mark of 43.1 percent on catch and shoot three-point field goals.

“In other words: Trent is a 3-and-D wing with an unselfish mentality, thus making him the perfect complement to Anthony Davis and LeBron James.”

While Trent is a relatively modest 6-foot-5, he has a decent 6-foot-9 wingspan. Plugging him into a Lakers team with Davis manning the middle and other capable perimeter defenders, such as Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent, could unlock his full defensive ability.

While Los Angeles finished the regular season eighth in 3-point accuracy, it was only 28th in 3-point attempts. It needs role players and complementary players who are not only accurate from downtown but are also volume 3-point shooters.

Trent seems to fit that profile. He attempted 6.4 treys a game this season, which would’ve ranked second on the Lakers. Over the last four seasons, he has logged 7.1 such attempts a game while hitting 38.3% of them.

The Lakers showed interest in Trent not too long ago. Could they find a way to snag him this summer?

Ranking the top 5 Thunder targets ahead of trade deadline

Ranking the top 5 Thunder targets ahead of trade deadline.

The NBA trade deadline is a little over a day away, which means the Oklahoma City Thunder could soon welcome new additions to their roster.

The Thunder (35-16) are in the thick of the race for the first seed as the All-Star break approaches. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has played like an MVP candidate; Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams help carve out an impressive trio.

This means this will be the first deadline OKC will be viewed as buyers in quite some time as it prepares for its first playoffs since 2020.

Odds are, the Thunder won’t make any drastic moves to the roster by Feb. 8. If OKC makes a deal, it’ll likely be to strengthen its depth and help fix some of its rebounding woes.

Entering the deadline, the Thunder are wealthy in trade capital — they have several young prospects they could trade along with an unending supply of draft picks.

If the Thunder wanted to, they could outbid anybody in the league for someone’s services.

Thunder Wire is ranking the top five trade targets for the Thunder as the trade deadline approaches:

Lakers have six new trade targets, including Bruce Brown

The rumor mill is heating up when it comes to the Lakers and what they may look to do on the trade market.

With less than three weeks to go before the NBA’s trade deadline, the rumor mill is starting to heat up, especially for the Los Angeles Lakers.

There has been plenty of talk that they have been looking to acquire Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray. Reportedly, the two teams have talked about a potential deal, but the sticking point has been Atlanta’s desire to acquire Austin Reaves and the Lakers’ reluctance to give him up.

Los Angeles has also been rumored to have some interest in Tyus Jones and Collin Sexton, and indeed, it does want a speedy ball-handling guard who can score. But now, according to Jovan Buha, it has six additional targets (h/t Lakers Daily).

Via The Athletic:

“If the Toronto Raptors decide to move on from Bruce Brown Jr., the Lakers will have interest in acquiring him, according to team sources,” Jovan Buha wrote. “The Lakers coveted Brown last summer and believed they were the favorites to sign him using the team’s nontaxpayer midlevel exception before Indiana swooped in with a cap-space offer. (Los Angeles eventually signed (Gabe) Vincent with that exception.) Much like he was last summer, Brown will become one of the most coveted players on the trade market if he’s available. Of note: Because Brown was already traded from Indiana to Toronto in the (Pascal) Siakam deal, he cannot be combined with another player in a potential trade.

“Other names that have come up in talks with team and league personnel over the past two weeks include Portland’s Jerami Grant, Charlotte’s Terry Rozier, Toronto’s Gary Trent Jr. and Brooklyn’s Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale. Each player fills at least one of the Lakers’ three needs.”

While a speedy ball-handling guard appears to be the Lakers’ biggest priority on the trade market, a 3-and-D wing is another. Although Brown isn’t a great 3-point shooter, his defense and ability to score make him an attractive trade piece.

Grant would be an interesting get for the Lakers. He’s averaging 21.4 points a game and shooting 41.2% from 3-point range this season, but he isn’t a particularly good rebounder, and he does have a somewhat large contract that runs for at least three more seasons.

Raptors wing Gary Trent Jr. labeled potential Bulls trade target

As the Chicago Bulls prepare for the trade deadline, they need to take inventory not only of what they have on the roster but also of the potential players they could look to acquire in a deal. With how well they’ve been playing, they could look to …

As the Chicago Bulls prepare for the trade deadline, they need to take inventory not only of what they have on the roster but also of the potential players they could look to acquire in a deal. With how well they’ve been playing, they could look to push for the playoffs, but at the same time, they don’t seem to have enough assets to compete with the top teams in the East.

Earlier this season, the Bulls were focused on trading Zach LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan is in the final year of his contract, making him a potential trade chip, too. Even if they look to trade one or both of those guys, they could still try to remain semi-competitive.

Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report suggested that the Bulls look to make a deal for Toronto Raptors wing Gary Trent Jr.

“The Bulls have shown enough fight for the last month that they don’t need to be solely focused on finding draft picks,” Buckley wrote. “If they pick up a player, though, it should be someone they think has a chance to grow with them.

“Gary Trent Jr. could do just that.

“The 24-year-old would give a jolt to this perimeter attack (career 38.3 percent from distance), not to mention replace some of the offensive lost in a potential LaVine trade. Trent’s scoring output has sagged a bit this season, but he pumped in better than 15 points per night each of the past three seasons.

“His contract is expiring, so Chicago would need to decide pretty quickly whether he’s a keeper or not. If he helped steer this club into the postseason, though, that debate could be an easy one.”

Adding Trent Jr. to the mix next to Coby White, Patrick Williams, and others could be a nice get for the Bulls.

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4 trade targets Thunder should look into ahead of NBA trade deadline

4 trade targets the Thunder should look into ahead of trade deadline.

As the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline creeps closer, expect the Oklahoma City Thunder to be potential buyers for the first time in years.

After spending the last three seasons rebuilding, OKC has busted open a contention window this year with a 23-11 record led by the young trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams.

Even though the Thunder will make the playoffs for the first time since 2020, don’t expect any seismic in-season trades by according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The NBA insider detailed that OKC will likely ride it out with this group but could look to make improvements on the margin.

To prepare for the trade deadline, let’s look at four Thunder targets who’d make sense as short-term commitments that could improve their depth without giving up serious trade capital.

Could Gary Trent Jr. be a target for the Lakers this offseason?

The Lakers could use a 3-and-D wing, and perhaps Gary Trent Jr. would fit the bill.

Ever since the midseason trades that salvaged their year, the Los Angeles Lakers have had a very good team. But very good simply wasn’t good enough: They were swept in the Western Conference finals by the Denver Nuggets.

Very good also isn’t good enough for a franchise that has won 17 NBA championships and measures success by whether it wins it all at the end of a season.

Aside from a home-run move such as acquiring Kyrie Irving, perhaps their biggest need is a 3-and-D wing who can contain star guards, such as Denver’s Jamal Murray, while consistently hitting from the outside on the other end.

The Toronto Raptors’ Gary Trent Jr. seems to fit that description, and Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale suggested he could be an ambitious target for L.A. this summer.

Via Bleacher Report:

“There are levels to how aggressive the Los Angeles Lakers can get in free agency. … Targeting a higher-end shooter who can disrupt on defense, even if he over-gambles, via sign-and-trade is aggressive enough. The Lakers should have the wiggle room to fit Hachimura, Reaves and Gary Trent Jr. under the hard cap.”

Could Trent be the final piece for the Purple and Gold?