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Across the NBA, the expectation is that the league will find the Milwaukee Bucks violated its rules with the contract Gary Trent Jr. signed this summer, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on an episode of The Hoop Collective recorded Tuesday.
Draft picks were among the potential penalties raised on the same show by ESPN’s Bobby Marks. The NBA has not announced a ruling, and no punishment has been handed down.
The Associated Press reported in July that the NBA was investigating the signing for possible salary-cap circumvention. A league spokesman told the AP that “the NBA is continuing to look into it.”
Brian Windhorst Says League Expects A Finding In Gary Trent Jr. Investigation
Windhorst’s comments came late in the show’s Bucks segment. “Everybody in the league expects a guilty finding,” Windhorst said. “If that doesn’t happen, it will be an upset.”
After a brief interjection, Windhorst spoke again. “And so it could be potentially the worst general manager opening in decades,” Windhorst said. “Bobby, am I out of line if that job opens?”
Earlier in the segment, Marks said “the one thing you don’t want to be is a rebuilding team, which Milwaukee is,” and to also face “the potential of losing multiple draft picks.” He put Trent’s contract at four years and $64 million, which he said ranked among the 10 largest deals signed this summer.
This offseason, the Bucks traded two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat. The return included the 2026 draft’s 13th pick, two future first-round picks, a first-round swap, and a second-round pick.
Trent’s Contract History And The CBA’s Circumvention Penalties
In 2024-25, Trent set Milwaukee’s single-season record for 3-pointers by a reserve with 163. He averaged 8.1 points last season after averaging 11.1 in 2024-25, according to NBA.com.
Trent first signed with Milwaukee for the veteran minimum in 2024, according to the AP. When free agency opened in 2025, Charania reported that Trent would stay in Milwaukee on a two-year, $7.5 million contract. Those two seasons established his early Bird rights, ESPN’s Jamal Collier reported.
The 2025 contract carried a $3.9 million player option, which Trent declined before he re-signed with the Bucks, according to the AP. The circumvention concerns involve whether there was a prior agreement to reward Trent if he signed below-market deals in each of the previous two years, the AP reported.
Article XIII of the 2023 collective bargaining agreement governs circumvention. Under Section 2, teams and players cannot make unauthorized agreements or promises about future contracts, including oral ones. A violation can be proven with direct or circumstantial evidence.
Section 3(b) penalties apply after an arbitrator finds a violation and any appeals have concluded. The team can be fined up to $7.5 million and made to forfeit draft picks. Team staff members can be suspended for up to one year for a willful violation. If both the player or his representative and the team are found in violation, the contract can be voided.
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