Toronto Raptors Expected To Move On From Sharpshooter

The 2024 NBA offseason has been an expensive one for the Toronto Raptors. They weren’t major players in free agency but did make several splashes when it came to retaining their players.

The first big move that the team made was working out a supermax extension with Scottie Barnes. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft made his first All-Star game this past season and is an ascending player.

The Toronto Raptors have made it clear he is the centerpiece of their new core. Joining him as part of that core will be Immanuel Quickley.

One of the key pieces acquired from the New York Knicks in the OG Anunoby blockbuster, Quickley agreed to a five-year, $175 million deal. He was acquired along with RJ Barrett, giving the Toronto Raptors a strong threesome to build around in the future.

While those players all received their extensions in the last year, one player who won’t be is Gary Trent Jr. According to recent NBA rumors, the Toronto Raptors are expected to move on from the veteran sharpshooter.

As shared by Josh Lewenberg of TSN, the door is not fully closed on Trent returning to the team. However, sources indicate that the franchise is prepared to move in a different direction given the price difference.

“Per a source, the Raptors were willing to bring the sharpshooter back at an annual salary of around $15 million when the negotiation window opened last month, but Trent’s camp was looking for a raise on the $18.5 million he made last season.

Something in the $25 million range was believed to be the ask, a misread of a market that hasn’t been kind to players of Trent’s ilk – a very good three-point shooter (38 per cent as a Raptor) who has shown flashes in other areas but hasn’t been able to sustain them, especially on defence,” Lewenberg wrote.

As Lewenberg noted, that is a massive misread of the market by Trent’s representatives. Even with the salary cap rising, specialists like that are not receiving top dollar as the new CBA aprons make maneuvering difficult in some scenarios.

Because of other moves the Toronto Raptors have made, the $15 million offer Lewenberg mentioned is no longer on the table. Those talks came before the 2024 NBA Draft and the roster structure and money available has changed.

With the Toronto Raptors not willing to meet the asking price, his market is very limited. NBA Rumors have linked Trent to the Los Angeles Lakers, but the max he would receive from them is half of the $12.5 million mid-level exception.

Want the latest NBA analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click Here. Follow NBA Analysis Network on Twitter and Facebook.

Interested in reading the latest storylines and analysis in the NFL? Check out our partner NFL Analysis Network.