Why is the NBA investigating Gary Trent Jr.'s contract extension with Bucks?

· Yahoo Sports

On Saturday, the Milwaukee Bucks gave decidedly average guard Gary Trent Jr. a huge contract extension despite paying him no more than the minimum in each of the past two seasons. On Thursday, with the Bucks no longer having to worry about appeasing the since-departed Giannis Antetokounmpo (while also fitting his massive salary on their books), the NBA decided this new Trent contract was way too convenient for its tastes.

Visit newsbetting.cv for more information.

According to Shams Charania, the NBA has launched a probe into the Trent contract with the Bucks. Why? Because it looks suspicious and with such timing of its money and the term, it seems way too coincidental not to be breaking league rules.

Let's unpack why the NBA is likely beginning an investigation into Trent's new contract with the Bucks.

Trent's performance over the past two years clearly did not warrant the extension he got

Trent is averaging 9.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists with 41-39-81 shooting splits in his short Bucks career so far. To be sure, these numbers are fine for a role player with a minimum contract. They are decidedly not fine for a guy making no fewer than $14.2 million per year for the foreseeable future. Trent did not play like he earned a massive raise, yet the Bucks gave him one anyway.

The math ain't mathing.

The core alleged violation here is a "handshake deal" between the Bucks and Trent for him to take less money with a promise they'll give him more later. That is, uh ... not allowed

In case anyone wasn't aware, NBA teams actually aren't allowed to convince prospective free agents to take less money while vowing they will pay them more when they can. It's crazy, I know. That is a form of under-the-table salary cap circumvention (well, I guess all salary cap circumvention is technically under the table), which the Bucks needed to do when they were still trying to make the expensive Antetokounmpo happy. But Antetokounmpo is gone, so Trent may have received the deal the Bucks were always going to get him.

If Milwaukee had simply signed Trent to the contract he got now, two years ago, no one would be batting an eyelash. Instead, the entire situation looks extremely fishy, with all eyes on Milwaukee potentially trying to manipulate the salary cap.

What, if any, punishment might the Bucks receive should the NBA find them guilty?

If I were a betting man, which I'm not, I would expect Milwaukee to lose some measure of valuable draft picks. But with the Kawhi Leonard Aspiration situation still happening at the same time, NBA commissioner Adam Silver has set no modern precedent for cracking down on possible salary cap circumvention. Until the Leonard fiasco is resolved, I have to imagine the Bucks will soldier on for a while because, you know, Trent is nowhere near the profile of a basketball all-timer.

Do two separate instances of potential salary cap circumvention point to a bigger underlying NBA problem?

Are you suggesting the NBA's still relatively new apron tax rules are draconian, forcing team leaders around the Association to make basically impossible (and unnecessary) financial decisions all the time? Well ... maybe! I'm not particularly shocked that two squads in the Los Angeles Clippers and Bucks may have both tried to get creative in manipulating a cap that works for them with these sorts of ridiculous restrictions hanging overhead (even if it was against the rules and should be frowned upon nonetheless).

No matter what happens, I would say this could inspire some sort of introspection from the NBA and all 30 owners, but I know better.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Why is the NBA investigating Gary Trent Jr.'s contract extension with Bucks?

Read full story at source