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Gary Trent Jr. Opts Into Raptors Contract, Extension Talks Expected to Begin, per Reports
Gary Trent Jr. has officially made up his mind.
The 24-year-old Toronto Raptors guard has made the surprising decision to opt in to his $18.6 million player option and will remain under contract through next season, per Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes. The two sides are now expected to work out an extension this summer.
Reports had suggested Trent could be looking at making over $20 million per season had he opted to head into free agency this summer. It appears, though, that was not the case as Trent decided not to hit the open market.
For Toronto, this creates some added flexibility with Trent now a tradeable asset for this summer. Had he opted out of his deal, the Raptors would have been limited to a sign-and-trade should they want to deal Trent.
The $18.6 million number also provides some salary cap clarity with Fred VanVleet and Jakob Poeltl heading into free agency. Toronto now has at least $111.1 million in guaranteed salary on next year’s roster. That gives them roughly $50 million in wiggle room below the luxury tax threshold to fill out the roster and retain VanVleet and Poeltl.
Trent is eligible for an extension worth up to $113.6 million over four years as of July 6.
Free agency is set to begin June 30 at 6 p.m. ET.
Further Reading
Fred VanVleet's Next Contract is Expected to Surpass $90 Million in Free Agency
Raptors Among Teams 'Strongly' Connected to Michigan's Kobe Bufkin Ahead of NBA Draft
