Guard Gary Trent of the Raptors, a capable scorer who can hold his own defensively, was one of the possible targets the Lakers had lined up at the trade deadline in February.
But Trent stayed put when the Raptors ultimately decided to hold out at the NBA trade deadline last year.
Trent also shocked a lot of people in the league by opting to play on the last year of a three-year, $51.8 million contract he signed in 2021, even though he could have easily signed a longer contract in free agency. The choice is even more unexpected given that Trent is a client of Klutch Sports, the Rich Paul-led organization that counts LeBron James among its clientele. In free agency, Klutch typically acts very aggressively.
With Trent on their roster and maybe a renewed willingness to trade him, the Raptors are currently a below-average team (10-15). Trent’s scoring has decreased dramatically from 17.4 points per game to 10.3 points this year while being benched in Toronto.
However, Trent is still a gifted veteran with shooting ability. Are there any teams in the market for a player of that caliber? On their NBA draft board, The Athletic has Trent listed as one of its top trade candidates. The Lakers are obviously one of the “best fits.
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