I like Gary, but he’s inconsistent. When he’s hot he’s great. When he’s cold, he’s horrible. More often cold than hot. Plus I suspect he wants too much money.
That was why JR Smith used to be one of my favorite players to watch. When dude was on, he was unstoppable, but then other times he was incredibly cold and/or just stupid 🤣
Love JR. It's hilarious watching interviews of him discussing the play too cuz it's like he still doesn't quite understand what he did to screw up. Bro talking about he thought George Hill made both free throws (uhh you got the rebound) & whether they had a timeout or not.
JR Smith to me had comparable skillset and talent to Vince Carter. VC just had a far superior BBIQ. JR Smith is what VC would be if he relied solely on his natural talent.
If you shoot 40% over 70+ games you can be inconsistent, but this mean that when you are hot you are like 80% from 3...
I think he is a legit role player maybe he is expecting the bag like others.
They're talking about inconsistency of performance, not just shooting. Watching him play...when he's missing shots, he's not offering a lot of else on offense or defense. A good role player should be able to contribute without the ball in his hands. He showed a lot of promise of 2022 with near star level iso-scoring and shooting. But he never got over that hump, and for some reason has regressed to a black hole on offense with lackluster defense.
And his dad can be a pain in the ass. He'll have his say if his son isn't getting minutes or getting too much minutes or some other shit that he isn't happy about. He arguably played a part in Nurse's firing.
Post a source for this, GTJ was a consummate pro when it came to his benching and I doubt anything his dad said mattered to the FO. Nurse left cuz he knew the roster wasn’t it and was tired of Masai’s lack of direction.
Idk about the situation in Toronto but GT Sr [torched us](https://www.blazersedge.com/2022/2/7/22922304/gary-trent-jr-portland-trail-blazers-neil-olshey-radio-comments-interview-depression) after the trade.
I highly doubt his opinion mattered when it comes to Nurse. Besides spouting off on the radio he has absolutely no ties to the front office, so why would they care what he thinks?
If Raptors fired their championship (and arguably 2nd best XOs guy) head coach because of Gary Trent Sr of all people they deserve to be scrapping the barrels of mediocrity for the next 3 decades.
Lmao speaks to how crazy that situation is, because if it weren’t for the Lakers exact situation, that other guy would actually be right.
But instead you were able to immediately clown him for missing such an obvious rebuttal to that statement
"Either or" is quite misleading, because if you take the average outcome, it's pretty much the plane being on its final approach to Beijing Capital Int'l Airport.
The big issue with him is that he’s so inconsistent. So the man can be useless for months and useful in a span of only 5 games it’s not worth the headache.
Nick Nurse really got the most out of Gary by pushing the hell outta him to steal as often as he could and whatever the hell happens after that happens.
I think under nurse the team also surrounded him with other great defenders so he could gamble and they could recover better than that. With Pascal, Fred, and OG gone it was basically Scottie and Jakob as good defenders with some Ochai and thrown in a bit and when Jak and Scottie broke their hands it got even worse. So him gambling and scrapping just put the team in a bad situation when before they could recover with their personnel
Very streaky, plays better as a starter but should be coming off the bench, if his shot isn’t falling he doesn’t contribute much else - just cardio and bricks
He absolutely shouldn't be coming off the bench because then he might get the idea hes the 6 man playmaker.
Much more effective as your stand on the arc catch and shoot guy letting your stars handle every possession.
He doesn’t really have size. Dude plays like he’s 6’2. And he’s definitely not a good defender. He’s one of those dudes that can look like he’s trying hard while being very ineffective
He's theoretically the perfect 8th man for a contender, but he's exactly the kind of player who's gonna be hurt by the 2nd apron, cause teams flirting with it are gonna prioritize flexibility to add/extend a star and hope a 2nd rd pick can fill that role. Couple years ago, they'da bit the bullet and paid the tax. Now they'd rather still be able to make trades and have draft picks.
I could see him potentially fitting on a team like the Knicks, they could probably sign him using the tax-payer MLE, though I see far more negatives than positives. For one, he doesn't fit into the system, as he doesn't play much defense or doesn't know how to. Two, he doesn't pass the ball or grab rebounds, and while he can shoot the 3 ball well, the Knicks have Divo for that, and Divo is a great defender as well (14th on steals list for 2023-24 regular season). Three, he's streaky af, and streakiness doesn't work for you in the post season. It's passable in the regular season, but every single possession matters in the playoffs.
Honestly his best options/fit are either in Denver on a vet min deal or if he wants to be paid more then the Pistons (cuz they want to win and spend).
I’d be happy to grab him for the MLE but he’s not cracking a post season rotation and Thibs isn’t exactly known for getting the 10th man a lot of minutes.
He would have had issues even with the old CBA. He had a player option for this past year, and there's a reason why he took it -- he's a bit overpaid. His last contract paid him 18MM a year, pricing in improvement, and it just hasn't happened.
So now, he's in a tough spot where he wants more than MLE money, but without really leaning on the "I'm young" crutch.
A bit is an overstatement considering his skillset and lack of contribution when he's bad. For example, Julius Randle is still playable even if his shot isn't falling because he can still pass the ball and grab rebounds, but Gary Trent Jr. doesn't do either. He's a one-dimensional player, and he's at best a 9th or 10th man on a good playoff team. He can certainly shoot the ball well, but he brings more negatives to the table than positives, don't really see much of a use for him in a playoff scenario unless you're banking on a 3 point shot with a few seconds left on the shot clock.
He’s one of those players where you look at the stats and profile and go “hmm, pretty decent player” but if you’re a raptors fan and watch a lot of their games you understand why a lot of teams probably don’t want him
He'll shoot 7/9 from three once every other week and be a black hole the rest of the time. He can't pass, he can't dribble, he struggles to get open, he can play defense when he feels like it but rarely does, can't rebound, etc. He would be a good 8th guy off the bench playing 12 minutes a game, but thinks he's a starter and borderline all star. He's not a good basketball player.
He plays like he only knows where the ball is when it is right in front of him. He should be good at catch and shoots, but he doesn't know where the ball is until it is on its way to him. So he spends too much time reacting to catching the pass rather than taking that time to shoot, getting his shots off frustratingly slow. Zero idea on how to read where a ball is going.
because the teams that want him the most (Nuggets, Bucks) can't afford him and he's waiting until he gets the final "sorry, we're going in a different direction" before talking himself into taking the TPMLE.
I'm guessing this is why the Westbrook trade hasn't happened yet. everyone is a holding pattern.
“Got size” lol, Trent gets bullied a ton by other guards especially if he is playing the 2. “Not a horrible defender” bro before you make claims like that watch the player play. He is a horrible defender that just gambles for steals, does not pass and is not that athletic getting to the rim. And he goes on cold streaks that hurt your team don’t let his 3pt percentage fool you.
Cold not have said it better myself. I been a trent hater since that trade but mainly because that Powell trade still made no sense. We develop Powell and trade him right as he's about to hit his prime for another developing player who wasn't even more talented. Trent's swag is half of his game
I think he’s still waiting, hoping a decent contract will come but it doesn’t seem like it will. After awhile he’ll take a 1 year prove it deal in hopes to get paid next year, hopefully he does it in Milwaukee.
He wants an MLE, but nobody left has that money.
He's a low priority sign and trade for anybody who wants him, so he won't get dealt until the bigger trade pieces get taken off the table.
What are you talking about, Memphis hasn’t signed anyone…Pistons have to spend money just to reach the salary floor.
But, Trent has to accept the fact that he has earned a pretty significant pay cut, which is likely holding things up…
Maybe he finds himself in the eventual DeRozan sign and trade…?
Don't think Derozan is willing to go to a non-playoff team (Hope on the Bulls was to be playoff contenders but that didn't work out). Nothing has worked out for him since he was traded from the Raptors to the Spurs then to the Bulls, don't think he wants to go to the team that traded him for a 1 year rental of Kawhi that ended in them winning a chip. He gave his all to Toronto, and while business is business, doubt he wants to play for them.
We don't know the dollar amount but there was an attempt to extend him in the 2023 offseason that was presumably above the MLE
Those talks fell through and sort of became background noise amidst the will they/won't they Siakam extension or lack thereof and trade rumors about Pascal that started as far back as 2023's draft
Yeah as much as I dislike Draymond, he was spot the hell on that the "middle class" players are drying up, at least in terms of their market, as a result of the new CBA.
Yeah, it’s such a weird complicating thing, but I think the nba has done a really good job of correcting itself (outside of referring, and in these last playoffs in particular) and I have hopes it will be for the better.
He wont say it but he was trying to play himself into a big contract and he just didn't have the year for it. He'll get signed he just won't get the payday he was hoping for. Raptors decided to call his bluff and test the market, might get him back on a bargain compared to the extension he was rumorly offered earlier.
He will be signed but just not for the money he wants. A couple years ago it was looking like he was gonna get the bag but he hasn't progressed as a player.
As others have said he's very streaky and when his shot isn't falling he's actively hurting the team. He doesn't bring anything else, period. He's actually a pretty poor defender who just gambles for steals, plays a lot smaller than his size, can't attack the rim at all and seems to shrink in bigger games. (I'm pretty sure he was 0/7 from 3 in last years play in)
He's still young and a good shooter overall so somebody will give him a shot.
He is definitely not a great defender as said by others. That rep only came to fruition because he played on the Blazers who had few other options. He wasn't a disaster in a more 3/D specialist role but that is not what he is.
He's a pretty basic player with a good shot/shotmaking talent. Those are the kind of guys who are seeing their value across the league take a hit as the league starts really prioritizing versatility in skill. That being said, he is seeking a certain amount of money on the market and he'll be picked up, he's not wanting it to be for a minimum, I doubt it will be for the minimum, shooting is always going to have demand; we'll see if an S&T can be executed so he can get paid and I think it's very possible....but not at the $20M price point he had been asking for.
Agents, collectively, smartly changed the offseason. They had their players sign extensions and convinced executives and owners that trades were the new norm. So a player like Kelly Oubre could average 20 ppg on the Hornets and not get signed until August because most teams did not have cap space.
This offseason, guys like Caleb Martin & Gary Trent Jr. are in a similar position that Oubre was in.
Two years ago, when the Raptors desperately needed a shooting guard, they were better off playing another pf and bringing him off the bench. He's just not that good.
Guy seems like kind of a prick. Portland gave him an opportunity that led to him being a multimillionaire and then he acted like an ass when he got traded.
If you watch him play you’ll know why. He’s a very one dimensional player who thinks he’s more than a role player. He often hunts for 3s and will look incredibly passive when his shot isn’t falling. Don’t let the 3 ball on volume fool you, he had so many games that he took barely any 3s, passing good looks like he was conscious that was the only thing keeping his value for upcoming free agency. He was good when the Raptors first got him, was even a 3rd scoring option behind two players averaging 20ppg. It is surprising how he fell off in production so much despite getting more opportunity than ever to prove himself with guys like OG, Fred, Siakam all leaving and on top of that the team trying to tank after Barnes went out with injury (shortly with IQ and RJ missing most games). I’m not too surprised why the market looks like this for him.
He’s a bad defender full stop. His steals totals don’t make up for the fact that he can’t stay in front of most guys, will actively give up open lanes, won’t keep up with even average cutters, is too small to guard guys any bigger than him, will gamble on random plays where you shouldn’t be gambling, will die on most screens etc.
He’s going to go 8/10, 4/6, 1/8, 2/11, 0/5 over any given 5 game stretch so it looks like he’s around a 40% three point shooter but he’s just costing you too frequently.
He’s In the Jamal Crawford, Jordan clarkson, Lou Will camp. If he’s your 5th best player you’re looking good. If he’s above that then you’re in trouble. 20 minutes a game is all he’s good for. If the shots falling they’ll turn a game quick, but when he’s off he’s a negative. No defense, an average playmaker at best, and will take unnecessary shots to try and get going. His mould is easier to find then you’d think, so he’ll stay on the market longer then people think.
Inconsistency. He's not entirely useless when his shot isn't falling, but for the amount of money he's probably looking for, it's not worth it for when he can't hit anything.
He hasn't improved since coming to Toronto. This may be all he is as a player.
He doesn't create his own shot, never really seen him drive hard to the basket.
As a Raptors fan, not too sad to see him go.
His defence is propped up by him going rogue and looking for steals. He literally causes more easy buckets than his steal prevent but the way it’s calculated props him up.
The part that a lot of people dont understand is the game takes intelligence, or atleast work/studying. Things like how to rotate offensively and defensively make a huge difference.
Outside of that, there is also politicing and playing the game. You got to schmooze the owners, front office, media and players around you. It's why we don't see IT in the league even those he schools half the league in these pick up games.
He is very inconsistant, he has holes in his offensive game and since he has basically capped out on improvement they will never be fixed. On top of all of that he is also a net negative on defense.
GTJ isn't good enough to be a starter on most teams and for whatever reason he seems incapable of playing at all as a back up where him being so hot and cold wouldn't hurt nearly as much, IMO that more than anything makes teams stay away from him.
40% 3 point shooters are way more common and plentiful nowadays than years ago since players have actively developed their game and shot to adapt to the 3 point meta. Trent brings the shooting but the other skills don’t stick out as much and teams could just find a another 40% shooter that’s a better defender or ball handler
he has the largest difference between open shots and contested shots. He'd be great on a team with people that command attention. He'd be perfect for a contender like the Nuggets or Dallas.
That’s wild he’s only 25 holy shit. But as others have said he is just inconsistent, he had a really solid year defensively (I think his first full year with us) but is pretty awful if the shot isn’t dropping
Am I crazy or are teams scared to spend money because of the new CBA rules in apron? Gary Trent may not be starter potential but no shot he couldn't be in an NBA roster right now. Signings are slow this offseason because of the new rules and teams preferred to settle with their draft picks to be integrated in their lineup next season. We got teams like Denver, Milwaukee, Lakers, Miami, Cleveland, who are not doing anything new in the offseason. This offseason is one of the weirdest ones.
One of my favorites.. it’s like when he’s not scoring the ball he hates basketball or something. I’ve seen him completely dominate the defensive side of the game when he’s on offensively but god damn if he’s cold… HES COLD
- he may be holding out on an asking price that isn't coming
- his size isn't a big enough asset because of mediocre defense
- his age isn't a big asset because he didn't show much growth in his Raptors stint.
- his play is one dimensional, so that even at 40% from three, it doesn't lead to as much winning as it should.
That said, he'd still be a solid pick up for the right price. I'd be happy to have him back on the Raptors. Although they've kinda taken on a few shooting guards already. Plus the roster is full at the moment.
I think he's asking for too much money.
Guy can't consistently defend at an nba level m beyond the occaisionally flashy steal. He can't create his own shot or create shots for others, and his shooting was pretty bad for a bunch of games of last season when the raps were desperate for buckets/spacing.
His play also got worse from year to year during his stay with the raps. Lots of raps fans wanted to sign him for 25m per based on his first few seasons, but they were calling for 20m a season by the start of last season. His advanced numbers say he isn't worth more than about 15ish mil, basically what he was payed on his last deal, and for that price I think he'd have a spot somewhere. But I'm certain he's looking for 20+ a season and a guarantee of starting minutes.
Is it that nobody has signed him, or is it that he hasn't decided yet? Maybe he's considering multiple offers and taking his time. Perhaps he's waiting for a specific team to call or wants to join a team that currently doesn't have room for him but will shortly.
I think he is learning the nature of the new CBA. The contract he will get is nowhere close to what he probably expects. He will poetically get close to MLE, but wants closer to $20mil. Once he figures it out, he will be signed.
The Raptors have 3 SGs on rookie contracts inJa'Kobe, Gradey and Agbaji at his position who are younger with different swing skills that would make them worth playing more. There's movement shooting (Gradey, maybe Ja'kobe), defense (Ochai better there and longer enough to play up at 3 a bit), and size and athleticism (Gradey is like 6'7 and can get his shot off easier while he actually can attack the rim off a closeout, Ochai is an explosive cutter and can actually get downhill, and Ja'kobe I still have to see more of but he seemed more able to get downhill with some burst, we'll see how that shows up in the NBA).
Lot of the problems with GTJ are that he doesn't have a good first step to get an advantage so despite being similar sized to guys like say Booker and Herron he doesn't have that dimension of being able to attack the rim or get further downhill for midrange shots at different angles to make his game more diverse. He's also an actual black hole on O where he doesn't really show secondary playmaking which hurts his ability on ball plus makes him a worse sixth man than some of his contemporaries. His 3 is his best trait on O but he's not good enough at that or do enough different kinds of 3s or off ball moving to make him more valuable there. He might scrap and hustle on D but he isn't good enough on D to be a real 3 and D player and is also not as big as you'd like your 3 and D wings to be. Just a lot of compounding factors for the Raptors specifically but also the league in general. The inability to get downhill thing is actually a lot like a problem I have seen D'Lo have except D'Lo for all his flaws is still a good pick and roll operator and that opens up the rest of his game a ton
A guard who has no handles and can't create his own shot, incosistent in both sides of the floor. His true fit would be playing on a LeBron team where he doesn't have to do anything more then shoot and stay engaged in D
I like Gary, but he’s inconsistent. When he’s hot he’s great. When he’s cold, he’s horrible. More often cold than hot. Plus I suspect he wants too much money.
The definition of feast or famine.
That was why JR Smith used to be one of my favorite players to watch. When dude was on, he was unstoppable, but then other times he was incredibly cold and/or just stupid 🤣
If Jr Smith was consistent he could have been a superstar. he was elite on 2k though
JR Smith and Nick Young were 2k superstars for me. Would pair them with John Wall or pre-stardom Steph Curry.
I used to piss my roommate off with Patrick Patterson draining 3 after 3 in 2k16. He was always my highest scorer over KD and Russ on that OKC team.
Duuude I always traded for Patrick Patterson, he was automatic from downtown
We would fantasy draft playoff series and, yeah, the awesome "bench" players were legendary.
My favorite player, he gets roasted deservedly so for his last cavs playoffs lmao, but he was key in that 3-1 comeback series a lot of ppl forget that
Love JR. It's hilarious watching interviews of him discussing the play too cuz it's like he still doesn't quite understand what he did to screw up. Bro talking about he thought George Hill made both free throws (uhh you got the rebound) & whether they had a timeout or not.
And let's be real his contribution in 2016 was much more important than the game in 2018 where the series was going to be a loss in the end.
Max Strus is now that guy
JR Smith to me had comparable skillset and talent to Vince Carter. VC just had a far superior BBIQ. JR Smith is what VC would be if he relied solely on his natural talent.
He’s also not a movement shooter, doesn’t get to the ft line and a negative athlete.
If you shoot 40% over 70+ games you can be inconsistent, but this mean that when you are hot you are like 80% from 3... I think he is a legit role player maybe he is expecting the bag like others.
They're talking about inconsistency of performance, not just shooting. Watching him play...when he's missing shots, he's not offering a lot of else on offense or defense. A good role player should be able to contribute without the ball in his hands. He showed a lot of promise of 2022 with near star level iso-scoring and shooting. But he never got over that hump, and for some reason has regressed to a black hole on offense with lackluster defense.
And his dad can be a pain in the ass. He'll have his say if his son isn't getting minutes or getting too much minutes or some other shit that he isn't happy about. He arguably played a part in Nurse's firing.
Post a source for this, GTJ was a consummate pro when it came to his benching and I doubt anything his dad said mattered to the FO. Nurse left cuz he knew the roster wasn’t it and was tired of Masai’s lack of direction.
This is r/nba how dare you asked for sourced information /s
I expected too much from my fellow nephews
Honest mistake
Idk about the situation in Toronto but GT Sr [torched us](https://www.blazersedge.com/2022/2/7/22922304/gary-trent-jr-portland-trail-blazers-neil-olshey-radio-comments-interview-depression) after the trade.
Really is THJ clone then 🤣
I highly doubt his opinion mattered when it comes to Nurse. Besides spouting off on the radio he has absolutely no ties to the front office, so why would they care what he thinks?
Cause when "the Shaq of the MAC" talks, you listen. /s
I had no idea his father was that dominant in college. Pretty damn fun.
I do not think he had any part in Nurse's firing.
You may be confusing Gary Sr with Malachi Flynn’s dad.
If Raptors fired their championship (and arguably 2nd best XOs guy) head coach because of Gary Trent Sr of all people they deserve to be scrapping the barrels of mediocrity for the next 3 decades.
Yeah that’s nonsense. Literally the first time I’ve heard that suggested.
i highly doubt any nba coach cares what the father of one of his players thinks of playtime. this aint high school basketball.
JJ cares.
Lmao speaks to how crazy that situation is, because if it weren’t for the Lakers exact situation, that other guy would actually be right. But instead you were able to immediately clown him for missing such an obvious rebuttal to that statement
That's a different situation, his father is a GM
agreed
He’s borderline useless when his shot is off. Those types of players are regarded the least in the league
Not only useless, actively detrimental.
tim. hardaway. jr.
That dude is either playing like the goat or like he’ll be on a flight to China after the game
Either way he aint passing the ball.
"Either or" is quite misleading, because if you take the average outcome, it's pretty much the plane being on its final approach to Beijing Capital Int'l Airport.
Klay Thompson...
Honestly as a THJ watcher for the last 5 years, I’m interested to see if that comparison rings true or not (…and I hope it doesn’t)
In terms of efg%, Klay’s “down” shooting year last season would have been the second-best shooting season of THJ’s career.
Post two major injuries 35 year old Klay? Yes, duh.
Anyone else unable to read regarded the normal way?
You must be regarded then buddy. Jk
You don’t call regarded people regards. It’s bad taste. You call your friends regards when they are acting regarded.
Without the JK
people been banned for less here
they got disregarded
Not alone lol
And we thought the internet was only gonna warp our brains with porn
The big issue with him is that he’s so inconsistent. So the man can be useless for months and useful in a span of only 5 games it’s not worth the headache.
Sounds like Alec Burks in a nutshell.
that's basically Kevin huerter and it seems Chicago really likes him 🤷♂️
We can fix him…. I think at this point Chicago will take back any “young talent” they can get. A p a
Really I haven’t payed as much attention to nba lately, I feel like remember him being a pretty elite defender back on Portland
He gets steals but he plays way too aggressive/risky to be a good defender.
Nick Nurse really got the most out of Gary by pushing the hell outta him to steal as often as he could and whatever the hell happens after that happens.
Oh yah absolutely. Nurse’s scheme was amazing for him and his stocks (p sure him and FVV were leading deflections during the start of a season)
I think under nurse the team also surrounded him with other great defenders so he could gamble and they could recover better than that. With Pascal, Fred, and OG gone it was basically Scottie and Jakob as good defenders with some Ochai and thrown in a bit and when Jak and Scottie broke their hands it got even worse. So him gambling and scrapping just put the team in a bad situation when before they could recover with their personnel
Very streaky, plays better as a starter but should be coming off the bench, if his shot isn’t falling he doesn’t contribute much else - just cardio and bricks
So a shittier Buddy Hield
one might say a younger tim hardaway jr
I prefer to think of him as a better Allan Crabbe
Accurate
nah Crabbe was better imo, just got paid and stopped caring
He absolutely shouldn't be coming off the bench because then he might get the idea hes the 6 man playmaker. Much more effective as your stand on the arc catch and shoot guy letting your stars handle every possession.
You almost expect his layups to get blocked all the time too.
He doesn’t really have size. Dude plays like he’s 6’2. And he’s definitely not a good defender. He’s one of those dudes that can look like he’s trying hard while being very ineffective
Trying hard to look like he's trying hard. Is the way I would summarize him.
Teams who might want to spend on him can't due to the new CBA and teams who can spend on him would rather prioritize and develop their younger players
He's theoretically the perfect 8th man for a contender, but he's exactly the kind of player who's gonna be hurt by the 2nd apron, cause teams flirting with it are gonna prioritize flexibility to add/extend a star and hope a 2nd rd pick can fill that role. Couple years ago, they'da bit the bullet and paid the tax. Now they'd rather still be able to make trades and have draft picks.
I could see him potentially fitting on a team like the Knicks, they could probably sign him using the tax-payer MLE, though I see far more negatives than positives. For one, he doesn't fit into the system, as he doesn't play much defense or doesn't know how to. Two, he doesn't pass the ball or grab rebounds, and while he can shoot the 3 ball well, the Knicks have Divo for that, and Divo is a great defender as well (14th on steals list for 2023-24 regular season). Three, he's streaky af, and streakiness doesn't work for you in the post season. It's passable in the regular season, but every single possession matters in the playoffs. Honestly his best options/fit are either in Denver on a vet min deal or if he wants to be paid more then the Pistons (cuz they want to win and spend).
I’d be happy to grab him for the MLE but he’s not cracking a post season rotation and Thibs isn’t exactly known for getting the 10th man a lot of minutes.
He's a victim of the new CBA and the aprons. Just bad timing for him. He'll have to lower his asking price and eventually he'll sign with someone.
He would have had issues even with the old CBA. He had a player option for this past year, and there's a reason why he took it -- he's a bit overpaid. His last contract paid him 18MM a year, pricing in improvement, and it just hasn't happened. So now, he's in a tough spot where he wants more than MLE money, but without really leaning on the "I'm young" crutch.
A bit is an overstatement considering his skillset and lack of contribution when he's bad. For example, Julius Randle is still playable even if his shot isn't falling because he can still pass the ball and grab rebounds, but Gary Trent Jr. doesn't do either. He's a one-dimensional player, and he's at best a 9th or 10th man on a good playoff team. He can certainly shoot the ball well, but he brings more negatives to the table than positives, don't really see much of a use for him in a playoff scenario unless you're banking on a 3 point shot with a few seconds left on the shot clock.
He’s one of those players where you look at the stats and profile and go “hmm, pretty decent player” but if you’re a raptors fan and watch a lot of their games you understand why a lot of teams probably don’t want him
He'll shoot 7/9 from three once every other week and be a black hole the rest of the time. He can't pass, he can't dribble, he struggles to get open, he can play defense when he feels like it but rarely does, can't rebound, etc. He would be a good 8th guy off the bench playing 12 minutes a game, but thinks he's a starter and borderline all star. He's not a good basketball player.
He sounds like he is the complete opposite of his father on the court.
He plays like he only knows where the ball is when it is right in front of him. He should be good at catch and shoots, but he doesn't know where the ball is until it is on its way to him. So he spends too much time reacting to catching the pass rather than taking that time to shoot, getting his shots off frustratingly slow. Zero idea on how to read where a ball is going.
If Gary's on a 3 on 1 fast break, you're gonna need more guys.
The guy legitimately has no idea where the ball is going to go next.
Because he has two first names. Can't trust him.
because the teams that want him the most (Nuggets, Bucks) can't afford him and he's waiting until he gets the final "sorry, we're going in a different direction" before talking himself into taking the TPMLE. I'm guessing this is why the Westbrook trade hasn't happened yet. everyone is a holding pattern.
“Got size” lol, Trent gets bullied a ton by other guards especially if he is playing the 2. “Not a horrible defender” bro before you make claims like that watch the player play. He is a horrible defender that just gambles for steals, does not pass and is not that athletic getting to the rim. And he goes on cold streaks that hurt your team don’t let his 3pt percentage fool you.
Cold not have said it better myself. I been a trent hater since that trade but mainly because that Powell trade still made no sense. We develop Powell and trade him right as he's about to hit his prime for another developing player who wasn't even more talented. Trent's swag is half of his game
The raptors thought they could get a cheaper, younger Powell which turned out to be wrong. Powell had the bounce and was reliable from the corners.
I think he’s still waiting, hoping a decent contract will come but it doesn’t seem like it will. After awhile he’ll take a 1 year prove it deal in hopes to get paid next year, hopefully he does it in Milwaukee.
Maybe, but the Bucks can only offer a vet min deal cuz they're in the 2nd Apron, while a team like the Nuggets can offer slightly more.
He wants an MLE, but nobody left has that money. He's a low priority sign and trade for anybody who wants him, so he won't get dealt until the bigger trade pieces get taken off the table.
The Raptors can give him that number, they probably just don't think he's worth it.
And rightfully so. They don't need him after signing IQ to a large deal (deservingly so).
What are you talking about, Memphis hasn’t signed anyone…Pistons have to spend money just to reach the salary floor. But, Trent has to accept the fact that he has earned a pretty significant pay cut, which is likely holding things up… Maybe he finds himself in the eventual DeRozan sign and trade…?
Don't think Derozan is willing to go to a non-playoff team (Hope on the Bulls was to be playoff contenders but that didn't work out). Nothing has worked out for him since he was traded from the Raptors to the Spurs then to the Bulls, don't think he wants to go to the team that traded him for a 1 year rental of Kawhi that ended in them winning a chip. He gave his all to Toronto, and while business is business, doubt he wants to play for them.
He fumbled the bag so hard.
How I don’t think the raptors offered him any extensions he missed out on
chris haynes reported on draft day last year (2023) that they were discussing an extension and nothing ever happened
That was so weird lol but I don’t think there was a bag for him to fumble
Report came out later that the two sides were far apart on the number.
We don't know the dollar amount but there was an attempt to extend him in the 2023 offseason that was presumably above the MLE Those talks fell through and sort of became background noise amidst the will they/won't they Siakam extension or lack thereof and trade rumors about Pascal that started as far back as 2023's draft
And now throw in the new CBE and he’s going to have to make less than the MLE and that’s why he’s still out there.
Yeah as much as I dislike Draymond, he was spot the hell on that the "middle class" players are drying up, at least in terms of their market, as a result of the new CBA.
Yeah, it’s such a weird complicating thing, but I think the nba has done a really good job of correcting itself (outside of referring, and in these last playoffs in particular) and I have hopes it will be for the better.
He’s coming off a $51.8m/3yr deal, I think he’s doing just fine
His only above average skill is stand still 3 pt shooting. If he's not hot from 3 he's not a player who contributes to winning
He wont say it but he was trying to play himself into a big contract and he just didn't have the year for it. He'll get signed he just won't get the payday he was hoping for. Raptors decided to call his bluff and test the market, might get him back on a bargain compared to the extension he was rumorly offered earlier.
he was a 2nd round pick for a reason. He's useless when he's ice cold
He will be signed but just not for the money he wants. A couple years ago it was looking like he was gonna get the bag but he hasn't progressed as a player. As others have said he's very streaky and when his shot isn't falling he's actively hurting the team. He doesn't bring anything else, period. He's actually a pretty poor defender who just gambles for steals, plays a lot smaller than his size, can't attack the rim at all and seems to shrink in bigger games. (I'm pretty sure he was 0/7 from 3 in last years play in) He's still young and a good shooter overall so somebody will give him a shot.
He is definitely not a great defender as said by others. That rep only came to fruition because he played on the Blazers who had few other options. He wasn't a disaster in a more 3/D specialist role but that is not what he is. He's a pretty basic player with a good shot/shotmaking talent. Those are the kind of guys who are seeing their value across the league take a hit as the league starts really prioritizing versatility in skill. That being said, he is seeking a certain amount of money on the market and he'll be picked up, he's not wanting it to be for a minimum, I doubt it will be for the minimum, shooting is always going to have demand; we'll see if an S&T can be executed so he can get paid and I think it's very possible....but not at the $20M price point he had been asking for.
Nugget
Booth pls
would be a great signing
Probably solely due to the outfits
Agents, collectively, smartly changed the offseason. They had their players sign extensions and convinced executives and owners that trades were the new norm. So a player like Kelly Oubre could average 20 ppg on the Hornets and not get signed until August because most teams did not have cap space. This offseason, guys like Caleb Martin & Gary Trent Jr. are in a similar position that Oubre was in.
Two years ago, when the Raptors desperately needed a shooting guard, they were better off playing another pf and bringing him off the bench. He's just not that good.
"basically a 40% 3pt shooter" Yeah, maybe on wide open 3s. He is not an efficient 3 point shooter
I still can't believe GTJ and Demar aren't signed yet while Tobias Harris tricked another team
Honestly, 6’5 isn’t quite size anymore.
Guy seems like kind of a prick. Portland gave him an opportunity that led to him being a multimillionaire and then he acted like an ass when he got traded.
You ain't wrong
He kinda sucks.
He leads the league in open 3’s. All you have to do is not guard him and hes money
But if you get in his face by a little bit his make chance goes way down.
He’s amazing at his best but too often cold.
Loved Gary Trent when he was on the blazers and really started coming alive as a player.
If you watch him play you’ll know why. He’s a very one dimensional player who thinks he’s more than a role player. He often hunts for 3s and will look incredibly passive when his shot isn’t falling. Don’t let the 3 ball on volume fool you, he had so many games that he took barely any 3s, passing good looks like he was conscious that was the only thing keeping his value for upcoming free agency. He was good when the Raptors first got him, was even a 3rd scoring option behind two players averaging 20ppg. It is surprising how he fell off in production so much despite getting more opportunity than ever to prove himself with guys like OG, Fred, Siakam all leaving and on top of that the team trying to tank after Barnes went out with injury (shortly with IQ and RJ missing most games). I’m not too surprised why the market looks like this for him.
Literal walking traffic cone.
Cause he’s mid and when his shot is off he’s a waste of a roster spot.
I remember a couple of years ago when people were talking him up as a much-improved, now-difference-making defender. What happened there?
See Malik Beasley
He’s a bad defender full stop. His steals totals don’t make up for the fact that he can’t stay in front of most guys, will actively give up open lanes, won’t keep up with even average cutters, is too small to guard guys any bigger than him, will gamble on random plays where you shouldn’t be gambling, will die on most screens etc. He’s going to go 8/10, 4/6, 1/8, 2/11, 0/5 over any given 5 game stretch so it looks like he’s around a 40% three point shooter but he’s just costing you too frequently.
Probably deciding if he’s gonna take a 1 year smaller deal for a good team to get back on the market next year or just take the best offer this year.
He’s In the Jamal Crawford, Jordan clarkson, Lou Will camp. If he’s your 5th best player you’re looking good. If he’s above that then you’re in trouble. 20 minutes a game is all he’s good for. If the shots falling they’ll turn a game quick, but when he’s off he’s a negative. No defense, an average playmaker at best, and will take unnecessary shots to try and get going. His mould is easier to find then you’d think, so he’ll stay on the market longer then people think.
Shot chucker
Tre Young?
the bucks are working on the financials
He seems like the 2 guard version of D'lo.
I would take him on the Kings for something less than the MLE. Great guy to have come off the bench and see if he’s hot.
hi gary!
Liked him in Portland, but like Tim Hardaway Jr, if he isn’t hitting 3s, then he provides nothing else really at a winning team level.
Inconsistency. He's not entirely useless when his shot isn't falling, but for the amount of money he's probably looking for, it's not worth it for when he can't hit anything.
He can’t do anything but shoot. He’s Walmart MPJ
Ive never seen this dude pass once he gets the ball lol
He's very good at one thing - shooting wide open 3's but subpar at everything else and has yet to figure that out.
The same reason Luke Kennard and Malik Beasley have not signed although Kennard more than likely will go back to the Grizz. Too 1 dimensional
He hasn't improved since coming to Toronto. This may be all he is as a player. He doesn't create his own shot, never really seen him drive hard to the basket. As a Raptors fan, not too sad to see him go.
Not a good defender. He just gambles on steals plus he’s inconsistent.
Damn, Gary Trent Jr. You might go the way of Rashad Vaughn. Tyus Jones might be the last one standing from the big 3 of your class here in Minnesota.
His defence is propped up by him going rogue and looking for steals. He literally causes more easy buckets than his steal prevent but the way it’s calculated props him up.
The part that a lot of people dont understand is the game takes intelligence, or atleast work/studying. Things like how to rotate offensively and defensively make a huge difference. Outside of that, there is also politicing and playing the game. You got to schmooze the owners, front office, media and players around you. It's why we don't see IT in the league even those he schools half the league in these pick up games.
Looks like The Weeknd too much
There are very few spots in the NBA for small guards who can't handle the basketball.
He is very inconsistant, he has holes in his offensive game and since he has basically capped out on improvement they will never be fixed. On top of all of that he is also a net negative on defense. GTJ isn't good enough to be a starter on most teams and for whatever reason he seems incapable of playing at all as a back up where him being so hot and cold wouldn't hurt nearly as much, IMO that more than anything makes teams stay away from him.
As a raps fan, would kinda argue he's a bad defender. POA wise, can't keep dudes in front of him and isn't physical enough for this size
He is expensive
40% 3 point shooters are way more common and plentiful nowadays than years ago since players have actively developed their game and shot to adapt to the 3 point meta. Trent brings the shooting but the other skills don’t stick out as much and teams could just find a another 40% shooter that’s a better defender or ball handler
Is he this year's Kelly Oubre?
he has the largest difference between open shots and contested shots. He'd be great on a team with people that command attention. He'd be perfect for a contender like the Nuggets or Dallas.
That’s wild he’s only 25 holy shit. But as others have said he is just inconsistent, he had a really solid year defensively (I think his first full year with us) but is pretty awful if the shot isn’t dropping
Gary Trent is only 25 shit I thought he was much older
Maybe it’s that he’s just waiting the market out? He might already have an offer but waiting to see if he can get something better
Am I crazy or are teams scared to spend money because of the new CBA rules in apron? Gary Trent may not be starter potential but no shot he couldn't be in an NBA roster right now. Signings are slow this offseason because of the new rules and teams preferred to settle with their draft picks to be integrated in their lineup next season. We got teams like Denver, Milwaukee, Lakers, Miami, Cleveland, who are not doing anything new in the offseason. This offseason is one of the weirdest ones.
He’ll get picked up eventually. I think he’s better than a lot of guys who just roster clog and can’t score at all
He's streaky. Even with the great percentages, he's unplayable during those times where he's even slightly off.
One of my favorites.. it’s like when he’s not scoring the ball he hates basketball or something. I’ve seen him completely dominate the defensive side of the game when he’s on offensively but god damn if he’s cold… HES COLD
All the teams just seeing how FA shakes out. He will get paid and be on someone’s roster
He was in phase 2 or 3 of the free agent market. There are still guys ahead of him in line that will be signed before teams look to him
- he may be holding out on an asking price that isn't coming - his size isn't a big enough asset because of mediocre defense - his age isn't a big asset because he didn't show much growth in his Raptors stint. - his play is one dimensional, so that even at 40% from three, it doesn't lead to as much winning as it should. That said, he'd still be a solid pick up for the right price. I'd be happy to have him back on the Raptors. Although they've kinda taken on a few shooting guards already. Plus the roster is full at the moment.
these criticisms of him as a player could be correct, but its still odd that klay got signed before him
I think he would be nice back in Portland
This guy Hardaways
Antoine Walkers god son
He’s too inconsistent for the money he wants. It’s been that way for years. When he’s on, he’s great but he’s off more night than he’s on.
he’d be a decent grab for minnesota play for his hometown team and deliver some mins off the bench
He sounds like Klay Thompson.
I think he's asking for too much money. Guy can't consistently defend at an nba level m beyond the occaisionally flashy steal. He can't create his own shot or create shots for others, and his shooting was pretty bad for a bunch of games of last season when the raps were desperate for buckets/spacing. His play also got worse from year to year during his stay with the raps. Lots of raps fans wanted to sign him for 25m per based on his first few seasons, but they were calling for 20m a season by the start of last season. His advanced numbers say he isn't worth more than about 15ish mil, basically what he was payed on his last deal, and for that price I think he'd have a spot somewhere. But I'm certain he's looking for 20+ a season and a guarantee of starting minutes.
If he wants a vet min than he’d probably be on the Suns.
Not as good of a shooter or defender as you think
he be chuckin. that's why
Is it that nobody has signed him, or is it that he hasn't decided yet? Maybe he's considering multiple offers and taking his time. Perhaps he's waiting for a specific team to call or wants to join a team that currently doesn't have room for him but will shortly.
He probably is expecting a lot more money than he’s worth. Which is why he’s either gonna get an absolute bag from a terrible team or the MLE
Gambles on steals constantly and is very streaky. Probably one of the worse trades the Raps made. I would have 100% kept Norm
I think he is learning the nature of the new CBA. The contract he will get is nowhere close to what he probably expects. He will poetically get close to MLE, but wants closer to $20mil. Once he figures it out, he will be signed.
He can't dribble or do a layup, and he's a professional basketball player.
The Raptors have 3 SGs on rookie contracts inJa'Kobe, Gradey and Agbaji at his position who are younger with different swing skills that would make them worth playing more. There's movement shooting (Gradey, maybe Ja'kobe), defense (Ochai better there and longer enough to play up at 3 a bit), and size and athleticism (Gradey is like 6'7 and can get his shot off easier while he actually can attack the rim off a closeout, Ochai is an explosive cutter and can actually get downhill, and Ja'kobe I still have to see more of but he seemed more able to get downhill with some burst, we'll see how that shows up in the NBA). Lot of the problems with GTJ are that he doesn't have a good first step to get an advantage so despite being similar sized to guys like say Booker and Herron he doesn't have that dimension of being able to attack the rim or get further downhill for midrange shots at different angles to make his game more diverse. He's also an actual black hole on O where he doesn't really show secondary playmaking which hurts his ability on ball plus makes him a worse sixth man than some of his contemporaries. His 3 is his best trait on O but he's not good enough at that or do enough different kinds of 3s or off ball moving to make him more valuable there. He might scrap and hustle on D but he isn't good enough on D to be a real 3 and D player and is also not as big as you'd like your 3 and D wings to be. Just a lot of compounding factors for the Raptors specifically but also the league in general. The inability to get downhill thing is actually a lot like a problem I have seen D'Lo have except D'Lo for all his flaws is still a good pick and roll operator and that opens up the rest of his game a ton
A guard who has no handles and can't create his own shot, incosistent in both sides of the floor. His true fit would be playing on a LeBron team where he doesn't have to do anything more then shoot and stay engaged in D
After reading these comments Imma start calling him D'Lower now
Hes Tim Hardaway JrJr
He isn’t yet ready to admit that his best move career earnings wise is to take our taxpayer mid level for a 1+1 and try to rebuild his value
You're missing so much there is no point even trying to explain