Los Angeles Clippers' Gary Trent Deal Under Fire
The Los Angeles Clippers are facing scrutiny over their recent signing of Gary Trent Jr. to a four-year, $64 million contract extension. Trent appeared in just 65 games (21 starts) last season, averaging a career-low 8.1 points, 1.2 assists, 1.0 rebounds, and 0.5 steals in 21.2 minutes per game. He also shot a career-worst 38.7% from the field, and his numbers have declined every season over the last four years.
What Happened?
The Milwaukee Bucks recently signed Trent to a four-year, $64 million contract extension, which has raised eyebrows around the NBA. The deal puts Trent in the same tier as players like Dennis Schroder, Quentin Grimes, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Max Strus, Lu Dort, and Klay Thompson, all of whom had better numbers last year. ESPN's Tim MacMahon said on Tuesday's episode of "The Hoop Collective" that the contract "stinks," pointing out Trent's negative win shares, negative box plus-minus, and negative VORP despite landing basically a full mid-level exception.
Why it Matters for Los Angeles Clippers
The NBA is already investigating the Los Angeles Clippers and Kawhi Leonard over separate cap-circumvention claims. Reports say Leonard was set to be paid $28 million by Aspiration, a now-bankrupt green banking company backed by Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, in what's been described as a no-show endorsement deal. The Leonard trade between the Clippers and the Toronto Raptors is currently on hold until the investigation is completed.
What Comes Next?
If the NBA is already cracking down on one team for potentially dodging the salary cap, there's going to be more pressure on the league to look deep into any other deal that raises suspicion. And the Trent deal certainly has. The Los Angeles Clippers' recent signing of Gary Trent Jr. to a four-year, $64 million contract extension has sparked an NBA investigation, with ESPN's Tim MacMahon urging Adam Silver to look into the matter. The deal has raised eyebrows around the NBA, with many questioning whether the contract was justified.
The Los Angeles Clippers are currently on a four-game winning run, with their most recent win coming against the Sacramento Kings on April 12, 2025. They have a recent form of 4W-0D-1L (WWWWL, most recent first). The team's recent success has not been enough to distract from the controversy surrounding the Trent deal.
The Los Angeles Clippers' head coach, Ty Lue, has not commented on the investigation, but the team's owner, Steve Ballmer, has been linked to the Aspiration company that is at the center of the Leonard investigation. The Clippers' next game is against the Los Angeles Lakers on July 15, 2026. The team's performance on the court will be closely watched as the investigation into the Trent deal continues.
The NBA's investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers and the Trent deal is ongoing, with no official statement from the league yet. The Los Angeles Clippers' recent signing of Gary Trent Jr. to a four-year, $64 million contract extension has sparked an NBA investigation, with ESPN's Tim MacMahon urging Adam Silver to look into the matter. The deal has raised eyebrows around the NBA, with many questioning whether the contract was justified.
