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One of the potential targets the Lakers had lined up at the trade deadline in February was Raptors guard Gary Trent, a scoring threat who can hold his own defensively.
The Raptors wound up essentially standing pat at the NBA trade deadline last year, though, and that meant Trent stayed put.
Moreover, Trent surprised many around the league by choosing to opt in on the final year and $18.6 million of the three-year, $51.8 million contract he signed in 2021, when he surely could have landed a longer deal in free agency. Also surprising about the decision: Trent is a client of Klutch Sports, the agency fronted by Rich Paul that lists LeBron James among its clients. Klutch is usually very aggressive in free agency.
Now, though, the Raptors are a below-middling team (10-15) with Trent on their books and, perhaps, a newfound willingness to move him via trade. Trent has been benched in Toronto, and has seen his scoring plummet from 17.4 points per game last year to 10.3 points this year.
But Trent is still a talented veteran who can shoot. Know any teams in the market for that kind of player? The Athletic has Trent listed among its top trade candidates on its NBA draft board, with, no surprise, the Lakers among the, “best fits.”
Gary Trent Shooting Just 38.1%
The cost for a player like Trent at this point is decidedly not steep, not with his contract expiring and with his shot looking as poor as it has recently. Trent is a shooter, but is making just 38.1% of his field goals and 35.7% of his 3-pointers.
The Athletic projects his trade value at “multiple” second-round picks. The Lakers have already traded its second-rounders in 2024, 2026, 2028 and 2029. So, here’s hoping the Raptors want second-rounders in 2025 and 2027.
Wrote The Athletic on Trent: “Gary Trent’s scoring production has fallen off in the early part of this season as he’s moved to the bench. The threat of his shooting remains a real weapon even when his shots aren’t falling, but he hasn’t exactly put together an impressive contract season. The Raptors are hoping he can turn things around, both to increase his value in a potential trade and to aid their own Play-In push.”
Lakers Will Be Patient With Roster
Of course, while there is no shortage of Lakers chatter about potential trades this season, there is a real question about just how seriously the team is investigating rumored targets. Those range from relatively minor role players like Trent on up to max-contract stars like the Bulls’ Zach LaVine and the Hawks’ Trae Young.
To be clear, the Lakers are not on the verge of any major moves. Yet.
The team has not really been whole all season, as it started without big man Jarred Vanderbilt (who is not yet in game shape) and has been without Gabe Vincent since the second week of the year. Forward Rui Hachimura has missed nine games, too. There is a sense around the Lakers that all the team needs is some time.
“You’re always gonna get Lakers trade rumors and, look, they have some guys they can move and some holes they can fill,” one Eastern Conference executive told Heavy Sports. “But that is true of everyone. I think for them, they’re looking at it like they still don’t know what they are and everything they need to fix that roster is already on that roster. It’s a matter of health. You don’t want to make a trade to fix something that is going to be fixed in a couple of weeks once everyone’s healthy anyway.”
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