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Nate Duncan calls Gary Trent Jr.'s contract obvious salary cap circumvention

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jul 13, 2026, 11:00 PM

Last updated Jul 13, 2026

Nate Duncan calls Gary Trent Jr.'s contract obvious salary cap circumvention

Summary

NBA podcaster Nate Duncan criticized Milwaukee's signing of Gary Trent Jr. to a four-year, $64 million deal, labeling it 'obvious' salary cap circumvention. Duncan's comments followed Bill Simmons' sarcastic remark about the contract being a 'steal.' The Bucks, having signed Trent to veteran-minimum contracts previously, secured his 'Larry Bird rights' to offer him this significant raise despite a lackluster season. Duncan compared this situation to the infamous Joe Smith scandal in Minnesota and expressed doubt about Trent's value in the market.

Source Links

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Key Details

•Gary Trent Jr. signed a four-year, $64 million contract with the Bucks.
•Nate Duncan criticized the deal as salary cap circumvention.
•Trent previously signed veteran-minimum contracts to secure his rights.
•Comparison made to the Joe Smith cap scandal in Minnesota.
•Duncan believes Trent's market value does not justify the contract.

Latest Updates

11:00 PMYahoo Sports — NBA podcaster Nate Duncan calls Gary Trent Jr. contract ‘obvious’ salary cap circumvention

What they're saying

"
One of the stranger deals of the NBA offseason emerged over the weekend when Milwaukee gave reserve guard Gary Trent Jr. $64 million guaranteed over four years. The deal drew a sarcastic tweet from Bill Simmons calling it a “steal” and added to a miserable summer for Bucks fans, who just saw the franchise trade…
— Yahoo Sports

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