According to Marc Stein, the Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly not pursuing guard Gary Trent Jr. It’s mid-July, and they have yet to sign a single free agent this summer. It appears they will be running it back with virtually the same squad that bounced out in the first round of the playoffs last season.
Gary Trent is coming off a season for the Toronto Raptors where he averaged 13.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game on 42.6% shooting from the field. Trent is a seven-year pro who has been a solid role player for the Raptors and before that, the Blazers.
The Lakers not going after Trent is that signing him could put them in above the second luxury tax apron. The new CBA implemented recently is making the team operate their finances in a new way to avoid substantial luxury tax penalties. It’s an obstacle that will appear to prevent Trent from being a Laker in 2024.
Lakers Have To Make Moves
Who knows what the next course of action is for the Lakers? They have not added any players through the first wave of the 2024 summer of NBA free agency. One thing is clear, they can’t expect to be a true championship contender if they have the same roster as last season. Rob Pelinka has a lot on his plate.
LA has struck out thus far. They reportedly made a bigger offer than the Mavericks for Klay Thompson, but Thompson wanted to play for Dallas. It’s unclear if the Lakers were in the running for DeMar DeRozan. DeRozan ended up getting traded to the Kings earlier this week. It’s very unclear how the Lakers are supposed to be better going into next season, where Lebron James will be turning 40 years old.
It is looking like the Lakers are going to stand pat. They may start the season with the same roster as last year, and rookies Dalton Knecht and Bronny James. This puts a lot of pressure on Knecht and James to contribute immediately. Hoping 2 rookies can be the missing pieces to a team centered around Lebron James and Anthony Davis is not a good strategy for the Lakers.
Trent Remains A Free Agent
Gary Trent Jr. is coming off a season where he shot the three-pointer better than any year of his NBA career. This defiantly flew under the radar as the Raptors were towards the bottom of the standings all season long and didn’t receive much attention. His percentage from deep got to 39.3% for the season. This was a 3% boost from the year prior. Since 2020, Trent has been consistently scoring anywhere from 13-18 points a game per season.
He’s a great shooting guard to have come off the bench if you are a playoff team. Trent is only 25 years old and has been very healthy for the last three seasons. Trent’s most recent contract was a three-year 51 million dollar deal with the Raptors in the 2021 offseason. The good news for Trent is that his stock is higher than his last contract negotiation because of his durability during that time. A minimum of 3-4 years is likely, just not with the Lakers.
About the Author
Cory is an Oregon Duck alumni from the San Francisco Bay Area. He has been playing, watching, and following basketball + baseball his whole life. He has recently been covering NBA, College Basketball, and MLB. Follow Cory on X @cory_pappas1 for more breaking stories and game previews.
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