The NBA free agency buzz is starting to churn. Toronto Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr. was expected to hit free agency, but he has decided to opt in and exercise his $18.5 million player option, per TNT NBA insider Chris Haynes.
‘Toronto Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr. will opt into his $18.5 million player option for the 2023-24 season, CEO Rich Paul and agent Lucas Newton of Klutch Sports tells @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport.'
Haynes also mentions that the Raptors and Trent are expected to work on a long-term deal to keep him in town for years to come.
This past season, Trent averaged 17.4 PPG with 2.6 rebounds and played in 66 games. Since coming to Toronto in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers in 2020, Gary Trent Jr. has become an integral part of the roster.
Still, this is a surprising decision, especially with plenty of free agency rumors regarding him and the Raptors rumored as a team likely to rebuild after firing Nick Nurse. They then decided to hire Darko Rajaković, which was a surprising move and thus ignited the rebuild buzz.
The Raptors did see Fred VanVleet decline his option and head for free agency, and all signs point to him going elsewhere, especially with a fluid market and his desire for a big payday.
But, with Trent returning, the Raptors have a decent core, including Pascal Siakam. While this is a somewhat surprising choice from Trent, all indications are pointing to him remaining in Toronto for a long time, and that is great news for the franchise.
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