Gary Trent Jr. believes he can fetch more money on the open market. Jason Quick of The Athletic reported Trent will play out the 2020-21 season and enter restricted free agency, rather than signing an extension with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Gary Trent Jr. says he intends to play the season out and become a restricted free agent rather than negotiate a contract extension. In a sense, this is him betting on himself rather than trying to nail down the security of a multi-year deal. Good incentive for him to play well
— Jason Quick (@jwquick) December 10, 2020
This should not come as much of a surprise, considering Trent's recent change in representation. The former Duke standout signed with Rich Paul and Klutch Sports, a group that has excelled in getting lucrative deals for its clients.
Sure, stars like Anthony Davis and LeBron James were always going to get paid. But Paul also helped Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ink a three-year, $40 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency.
Gary Trent, coming off a breakout “bubble” performance for the Blazers, will bet on himself in the hopes of bolstering his market this upcoming summer.
On the surface, Trent's regular season numbers suggest he was nothing more than a bench piece. Trent played just under 22 minutes per game, averaging 8.9 points while shooting close to 42 percent from beyond the arc on 4.4 attempts per game.
However, the former second-round pick had a run of strong performances in Orlando. He scored in double figures in all but one of the seeding games, including four 20-point performances. Trent was a sniper from beyond the arc, and he also took on the challenge of some of the team's toughest defensive assignments.
It will be interesting to see what kind of role Trent plays this year, particularly after the Blazers acquired Robert Covington and re-signed Rodney Hood in the offseason. But Trent still feels he can stand out and improve his market for restricted free agency.
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