NBA Probes Bucks' $64 Million Deal With Gary Trent Jr.
The short version
- The NBA is investigating the Bucks' four-year, $64 million contract with Gary Trent Jr.
- News of the deal emerged July 11, nearly two weeks into free agency, after most teams had spent their cap space.
- The Bucks traded Giannis Antetokounmpo to Miami on June 22 and began a rebuild.
- No publicly known evidence of a comparable arrangement to the Clippers' case has been reported.
The league is examining Milwaukee's four-year agreement with Trent Jr., with rival executives questioning the timing of the deal.
The NBA is looking into the Milwaukee Bucks' four-year, $64 million agreement with guard Gary Trent Jr., and the timing of the deal is a central reason why. According to The Athletic's Joe Vardon, word of the contract did not surface until July 11, roughly two weeks into free agency, by which point most franchises had spent most of their available cap room.
Vardon reported that rival executives, speaking anonymously, believe the delayed announcement suggests Milwaukee paid Trent above what the open market would have offered. Those same executives said that had the deal been announced in the opening hours or days of free agency, it likely would have been dismissed as an overpay given Trent's poor 2025-26 season.
The contract also landed as the Bucks were retooling their roster. Milwaukee dealt Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat on June 22, launching a rebuild after a long run as a title contender. Vardon noted there is no publicly known evidence of any improper arrangement between the team and the player.
The inquiry is unfolding as the league takes a harder line on salary cap matters. The NBA recently penalized the Los Angeles Clippers $30 million and took away five future first-round picks over the Kawhi Leonard situation, while owner Steve Ballmer drew a one-year suspension and Leonard was ordered to pay $700,000 in restitution.
