Gary Trent Jr. Opts in for Final Year, Open to Long-Term Extension

Contrary to popular belief and expectation, shooting guard Gary Trent Jr. has made the decision to opt into the final year of his contract with the Toronto Raptors.

Having been a candidate for an offseason opt-out for lengthy period of time, the 24-year-old is expected to play the 2023-24 season for the Raptors, while hoping to negotiate a contract beyond the coming year.

“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 NBA on TNT and Bleacher Report,” senior insider Chris Haynes reported.

“Gary Trent Jr. wants to remain with the Toronto Raptors and both sides will work on a longer term deal,” Haynes added.

Although somewhat surprising, that news is certainly exciting for Raptors fans, who initially received the former 2018 second round pick from the Portland Trailblazers back in March, 2021 as the major return in the Norman Powell deal.

The 2018 NBA Draft was 5 years ago today!

2nd round picks
33: Jalen Brunson
34: Devonte' Graham
36: Mitchell Robinson
37: Gary Trent Jr
42: Bruce Brown
54: Shake Milton

Undrafted
Duncan Robinson pic.twitter.com/H66lOCthA9

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) June 21, 2023

In agreeing to his $18.5 million player option rather than demanding a deal north of $20 million, the 6-foot-5, 210-pound small forward in-turn helps Toronto’s hopes of retaining one or both of Jakob Poeltl and long-time point guard Fred VanVleet, who recently declined his own player option for 2023-24.

Should the Raptors proceed without any major shakeup over the next two weeks, Trent Jr. would be eligible to sign a four-year max extension with Toronto to the tune of $114 million as early as July 6. That contract would see a first year salary of $26 million. But whether he and general manager Bobby Wagner go that direction remains up in the air.

“Similar to Fred, we’re having those conversations with Trent,” the Raptors’ GM did say following the Darko Rajakovic introductory press conference last week.  “You can opt in, you can do a lot of things. He has a lot of things at his disposal, as do we.”

“We’re able to have a lot of those conversations, whether it’s long term, short term, so similar to Fred, which is we’re in communication with him.”

Last season, Trent Jr. put up 17.4 points, 1.6 steals and 2.5 three-pointers per game. He finished the year Top-10 in steals per game, despite being No. 3 on the Raptors. He was also one of just three players across the entire league with 350+ three-pointers and 200+ steals over the past two years. Teammate VanVleet and Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards were the other two players.

Should Trent Jr. decide to sign the long-term extension in Toronto, he would clearly be playing in a city – and for a country – that he appreciates.

“It means everything,” Trent Jr. told Sportsnet’s Amy Audibert back in 2022 when asked what it means to play for Canada’s only team. “You know, they brought me in with open arms and they showed me nothing but unconditional love, no matter how I’m playing. I don’t want to be anywhere else.”

Gary Trent Jr has been publicily called out by his head coach and had an inconsistent role all season.

Instead of opting-out first chance and going to another team where he would start, he decided to opt-in and wants to stay in Toronto long term.

Defintion of a pro. pic.twitter.com/dB9j3Y8DGZ

— . (@GTJGotNext) June 20, 2023

Although falling off the map at times last season, Trent Jr. can be an incredibly productive shooting guard. And with Nick Nurse – AKA: his main skeptic in 2022-23 – no longer running the bench, his numbers should get back to what they were a season ago.

Through three seasons as a member of the Raptors, Trent Jr. has averaged 17.7 points per game to go alongside 37 percent shooting from the three-point line in 153 games.