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The Toronto Raptors and shooting guard Gary Trent Jr. are finalizing a “lucrative multiyear extension,” per TNT and Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes.
Trent opted into his $18.6 million player option for 2023-24 to stay with the Raptors.
Chris Haynes @ChrisBHaynes
Toronto Raptors and Gary Trent Jr. — with CEO of Klutch Sports Rich Paul and agent Lucas Newton — are working on finalizing a lucrative multiyear extension, league sources tell @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport.
Last season, Trent averaged 17.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 32.1 minutes per game. He shot 36.9 percent from beyond the arc on 6.8 attempts per game on the Raptors’ second unit. With starting point guard Fred VanVleet gone to the Houston Rockets, he could get more playing time in 2023-24.
Trent was a regular starter for the Raptors early last season. After the team acquired center Jakob Poetl from the San Antonio Spurs at the trade deadline, he spent more time coming off the bench.
When playing on the Raptors’ second unit, Trent was able to be effective while playing varied minutes. At 24 years old, he could still grow as a player, especially if he takes on some of VanVleet’s off-the-ball responsibilities next season.
The Raptors are also keeping Poetl, who agreed to a four-year, $80 million contract with a player option in Toronto, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Friday. Wojnarowski also reported the addition of guard Dennis Schröder, who started 50 games for the Los Angeles Lakers last season, on a two-year, $26 million deal.
That sets up the Raptors starting five next season to be some combination of Poetl, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes, and Schröder, with Trent as a potential sixth man.
The move is a vote of confidence in the team’s core. With the exception of Schröder in place of VanVleet, this move will keep Toronto’s top six from the end of the 2022-23 season intact.
The next extension for the Raptors to look at will be Siakam’s. The power forward, who produced a career-high 24.2 points per game last season, is now set to be the only member of this core not signed through the 2024-25 campaign.
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