​The Milwaukee Bucks have elected to bring back a familiar face in free agency, reaching an agreement to sign Gary Trent Jr. to a four-year, $64 million contract that will run through 2030. The 27-year-old shooting guard will receive a fully guaranteed deal with no options, solidifying his return after a year with the Bucks. The contract amounts to $16 million per season, placing Trent as the fourth-highest paid player on Milwaukee’s roster. Only Tyler Herro at $33 million, Myles Turner at $26.4 million, and Kyle Kuzma at $20.4 million sit above him in annual salary.
Trent elected to opt out of his minimum player option to test unrestricted free agency in the latter part of June, prompting Milwaukee to move quickly to secure his services. The Bucks’ decision to bring him back comes after a challenging previous season for Trent, who had joined Milwaukee as a free agent on a minimum deal for the 2024-25 campaign. That year proved to be one of the most trying in his eight-year NBA career. Under former head coach Doc Rivers, Trent was relegated to the bench early, logging 21.2 minutes per game—his lowest average since 2019-20—and posting marks of 38.7 percent shooting overall and 36 percent from beyond the arc, the weakest season-long totals of his career as a full-time player.
Heading into the 2025-26 season, the Bucks had outlined a plan to maximize Giannis Antetokounmpo by surrounding him with elite shooting and a smaller, more versatile starting unit. The initial lineup for Trent, Kevin Porter Jr., and AJ Green featured two ball-handlers and a floor-spacer alongside Antetokounmpo. In the season’s first dozen games, all starts for Trent, he averaged about 29 minutes per game and shot 36.8 percent from three-point range while scoring around 10 points per game. However, he started only nine more games for the remainder of the year, indicating the ongoing balancing act the Bucks faced in optimizing their lineup around their two-way star.
Despite the ups and downs in Milwaukee, Trent delivered one of the standout moments of his Bucks tenure during the 2025 postseason series against Indiana. After being installed in the starting lineup, he erupted for 37 points in Game 3 and followed with 33 points in Game 5, shooting 17-for-29 from beyond the arc over those pivotal games. Those performances illustrated the high-end scoring potential Trent can bring when given a prominent role and ample three-point opportunities.
In context, Trent’s value to the Bucks extends beyond raw scoring. His ability to space the floor and provide supplemental offense helps alleviate pressure on Antetokounmpo and creates driving lanes and pick-and-roll opportunities for Milwaukee’s other playmakers. The reliability of his shooting, especially from distance, has long been a key component of the Bucks’ offensive philosophy, and re-signing him signals Milwaukee’s continued commitment to surrounding its star with shooting threats who can stretch defenses.
The deal has implications for Milwaukee’s overall salary structure and tax considerations for the near term. With Trent locked in at $16 million per season, the Bucks join a group of teams willing to pay premium wages to secure proven shooters who can contribute at multiple levels. For Trent, returning to Milwaukee provides continuity, a familiar system, and a chance to reestablish himself as a consistent contributor on a competitive NBA team.
This agreement reflects a deliberate calculation by Milwaukee: prioritize depth, shooting, and veteran presence around a franchise cornerstone while maintaining financial flexibility in the longer term. Trent’s return also signals that the Bucks remain confident in their core’s ability to compete at a high level and in their plan to build a championship-caliber roster through a blend of star power, versatile wings, and reliable floor spacers. As the 2026 season unfolds, Bucks fans will be watching to see how Trent’s role and production evolve within a system designed to maximize the strengths of Giannis Antetokounmpo and the surrounding supporting cast.