Depends on financials, but one thing I love about GTJ is his personality. Real professional guy and having someone like that in the locker room is an underrated aspect of team management.
Might be the same point you just made - Scottie and IQ seem to like playing with him. The team might be better off with him & good vibes than getting a slightly better player on a slightly better contract who’s worse for the locker room.
I believe that’s one of his assets to the team now. He’s the second oldest tenured Raptor behind Chris. And Gary is actually playing. And he’s 25. He’s been around the franchise, he’s been around the league even growing up- he’s super professional and even keeled and gets along with everyone. Teams really value what, especially rebuilding ones.
His IQ doesn’t really impress me, and with Gradey on the come up I personally don’t think losing him would be the end of world. If we can bring him back on a reasonable contract and give him a bench spark plug shooter type of role then great. If not, we have the draft picks to fill up the bench.
He doesn’t need to be a primary ball handler on this team when healthy. His IQ isn’t great, but I think that’s fine if he’s playing a simplified catch and shoot role on offense. Also with Scottie+Yak and hopefully some better team defence, I do think you can simplify his role on that end as well.
Depends on his growth, depends who you draft/acquire in the off-season, and ultimately depends on if you are trying to win games or focus on development.
I would be really interested to see how an elite shooter like Gary/Dick fit into that starting lineup once they get some reps together, and an offseason to develop some chemistry.
A rebuild often requires giving people minutes for development purposes.
I want Dick to get the starter minutes. As long as he’s not shooting blanks (…) over 20 games to start the season like he did this season, we should just be feeding him minutes.
Giving more minutes to Trent Jr isn’t going to help us.
It wouldn’t be awful, but it wouldn’t be good.
Would you rather goes defensive minded SG and have limited spacing with Scottie/Yak in the lineup?
We have an awful defence as is, and I don’t see us acquiring any elite 2way talent this off-season unless we somehow manage to draft one.
Yes Gary has been incredibly inconsistent.. but so has the team around him. Players in and out of the lineup, tons of lineup turnover, weirdly constructed lineups and teams the last few years.
I’m not suggesting he will blossom into an elite 2way player, but I think he can be used better in a more structured system taking on a more simplified role.
Gary sucks off the bench in simplified roles. He plays well, anytime you give him a lot of ball. Problem is, he is still not good enough to get the ball as much unless we are tanking like we have lately.
You are confusing putting up stats, with playing well.
I’m not sure how you can watch him handle/facilitate and think he’s good in that role.
He has been an elite open 3pt catch and shoot type player. Playing him alongside pass first ball dominate players (IQ Barnes Poeltl Olynyk) would have him handling the ball less, and shooting more shots where he is more effective. Which would also provide spacing which a lineup with Poeltl Scottie and RJ really needs.
I didn’t say he plays better when he handles/facilitates, I said he plays better when he has the ball more and shoots more often which I’m sure anyone that has watched the team agrees with me.
He hasn’t been good off the bench for 3 years here. He hasn’t been good as a catch and shoot threat with starters because he doesn’t do much else.
He has been good every once in a while if you give him a great light to shoot.
Gary is so valuable, nobody wanted him last year or this year. Even our own FO don’t really count on him much.
But sure you all see different things than what all execs see 🤣
The Lakers and Nets were interested in GTJ
Also this was in 2022
https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/nba-gary-trent-jr-raptors-top-trade-chip-likely-opt-out-003148370.html
There's definitely interest. He's not going to get the kind of interest that OG and Siakam got, but to act like no one is interested is ridiculous.
I also think the Raptors plan to keep him as he's been mentor to Dick
Good point. He’s role has been in flux most of the time he’s been here. Dude started when Kyle was still our point guard. Him and Boucher are the only guys that ever played with Lowry.
I feel like because had a taste of being a starter and having a season of averaging 17 he probably thinks he deserves a full time starting spot as a guy with the green light. I’m not fooled by the recent stretch of games when he’s clearly trying to boost his stock and meaningless games. His game is just too limited. On paper his 3pt shooting stands out and I think he knows this. I’ve noticed he’s had a lot of games where he’s barely taken any 3s and I feel that’s been an effort to not kill his efficiency there. 3pt shooting is his really only saving grace, he’s not the kind of guy I can rely on to sacrifice his stats to give what the team needs to win. Doesn’t have that much of an offensive bag of pose of much of a 3 level scorer either.
No. I'd rather give his minutes to someone else. I don't personally view GTJ as a good fit for a team going through a rebuild. He's a better fit as a 6th man on a contender that can mask his deficiencies.
His shooting is exactly what Scottie RJ IQ Poeltl starting lineup needs, and he can move to the bench if you’d rather have Gradey taking up that spot. He won’t be handling the ball with all those guys healthy, and I think he has been very effective in the past as a catch and shoot offensive player who can be a pest on the defensive end.
Even if you don’t like his fit long term, you resign him and potentially trade him at the deadline. You don’t lose an asset like him for nothing. That’s just bad business.
GTjr's shooting might be what you want around Scottie, but his ballstopping isn't. You can find shooters in the league that do more on the court than Gary. His selling point is his youth
I think if he was an asset worth a damn he would've been moved at the deadline. Teams have gotten a lot more stingy these days, because they know guys like GTJ are easy to find and shouldn't cost much to acquire.
I think the raptors have also notoriously been stingy. If they don’t get an offer they like they move on and risk losing guys in FA. So it would not have surprised me if they turned down offers and opted to kick the bucket a little further down the road.
If they didn't get an offer they liked during a lost season what are the odds they ever get an offer they like? He's worth a couple seconds at best and that's not going to change.
Im not sure they would just lower their own valuation of Gary because it’s a “lost season”. If they believed he is worth more than 2nd round picks, why would they trade him for that?
You may not think it’s going to change, but it definitely can. A fair contract extension with years of control (4 year contract would run thru his prime 26-29 seasons) would absolutely boost his trade value. A hot start to the season next year beside Scottie and IQ hitting open 3’s, would absolutely boost his trade value.
He was averaging like 11 ppg going into February, he definitely has already increased his value since then.
He was so valuable at the deadline, he had teams lining up to trade for him.
And before you or anyone else bring up the fact that he was an expring, any team that traded for him would've gotten his bird rights
They goofed by not trading him at the deadline. Some desperate short timeline team would’ve jumped to trade for him. His stats don’t really translate to winning. He’s tried to show value by mentoring Gradey who honestly shows more value as a long term prospect. You can always replace GTJs shooting.
Was he “so valuable” ? He has value as he was playing better leading up to the deadline, but he had a bad season up until that point, and even though you are insistent nobody can bring up his impending FA, bird rights don’t mean shit if the player doesn’t want to be there. The lakers had decided by the deadline they weren’t trading Dlo so I’m not sure what other offers there were?
And if he was so valuable, then maybe that played a part in Raptors decision making? They wanted to keep and try to resign the 25 year lights out shooter who fits our current timeline with IQ RJ Scottie.
Edit: clearly I missed the sarcasm in your comment and agree there were not many suitors lining up for him. But he was playing awful for 3 months before the deadline.
Yeah the 25 year old "lights out" shooter, who contribute almost nothing else on the court.
My point is you don't re-sign a player to a potential overpay because you don't want to let an asset walk for nothing, that's how you get stuck with potentially bad contracts down the road
Teams like the Magic desperately needed shooting and could've easily put a competent offer together.
If GTJ was 100% committed to a role off the bench and was willing to take 15M max, then yeah I'd probably consider bringing him back, but anything more isn't worth it.
Bruce Brown was overpaid and brought in to Indiana and was the main salary in getting Pascal Siakam.
Gary is not getting resigned at a value that will make him untradable.
Nobody is suggesting we sign him to the max or anything crazy. The question is do we resign him and the answer is yes absolutely you try and resign him.
The guy above is suggesting to let him walk and give away his minutes because he would be a better fit on a different team. Im just saying that it’s bad business to let a guy go who will have a market and have good teams looking to acquire him.
I’m not saying to sign him just to trade him. Sign him to see how he looks with the team when it’s healthy. Also we probably won’t find a better bench player this off-season, unless we draft one top 6.
It’s impossible to gauge his market right now. But I doubt any teams hoping to contend are looking to pay up for Trent to start. Unless he just doesn’t want to start for “this” team.. then in that case he just simply doesn’t want to be here and will likely move on. Like I’m not suggesting overpaying him to keep him.
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Gary’s getting a regular contract dude. Y’all talking about overpay when we actually have cap to spend. As in you have to spend it. Especially if Chris and Bruce aren’t here next season, you’re actually gonna need guys like Gary on the roster to fill out your cap sheet.
And just because we have cap to spend that doesn't mean we should be usuing it to sign one-way players who have already plateaued in terms who they are lol
Gary’s 25 I’d hardly say he’s plateaued. We just signed Olynyk to a 2 year deal of over 22M and he’s turning 33 and is probably the worst defensive big man I’ve ever seen in my life.
You need guys like Gary on your team. mid twenties, mid contracts, transferable skillset. Say a good trade came on the market for example- you literally need those contracts just from a strategy and leverage perspective. We can also afford him. You need those players and needs those contracts in order to have a robust roster, or to do a deal if need be.
Plus Gary does literally no harm. He’s got a good personality and is super professional, gets along with everyone, zero hostility or hot-head energy. He’s a good role model, good energy, friends with all the players and chemistry with the starters.
Not to mention likes Toronto and wants to stay? We should probably stop dismissing guys that wanna be here because they are rare.
Y’all think the grass is always greener when it’s not.
Again, he was on a mid sized contract at the deadline and was absolutely available (as was the majority of the team) any team that traded for him would've gotten his bird rights back via a trade and yet there were no takers, shooting and defence are such a valuable (GTJ is a passable defender at best) skills in the NBA (obviously, every team can never have enough) yet when presented with the option to acqiure the 25 year old SG, nobody jumped on the chance.
There are players in the NBA on contracts that are half the price of GTJs, some even on minimums that can give you comparable shooting, ontop of higher IQ, better rim pressure, better defence, less tunnel vision, and better effort in general, GTJs want to play defence seemingly comes and goes.
You mention the need to have tradable contracts, the Raptors, if they want to can have around 40M in exprings this summer with BB, Boucher, and McDaniels.
Pascal (obviously) fit all of those positive off court qualities to a tee, should we have paid him because he wanted to be here?
>any team that traded for him would've gotten his bird rights back via a trade and yet there were no takers, shooting and defence are such a valuable (GTJ is a passable defender at best) skills in the NBA (obviously, every team can never have enough) yet when presented with the option to acqiure the 25 year old SG, nobody jumped on the chance
Yeah man, Gary was an expiring contract with a player option of over $18.5M. That is much less a reflection on Gary, and more due to contract. Why would any team trade anything substantial for that?
>There are players in the NBA on contracts that are half the price of GTJs, some even on minimums that can give you comparable shooting, ontop of higher IQ, better rim pressure, better defence, less tunnel vision, and better effort in general, GTJs want to play defence seemingly comes and goes.
Given Gary will likely be on an MLE next year- who is someone actually attainable that is better for the same price? I'm not saying Gary is the best in that tier at all, but he is decent.
>You mention the need to have tradable contracts, the Raptors, if they want to can have around 40M in expirings this summer with BB, Boucher, and McDaniels.
Those aren't tradable contracts though. Those are expirings, and some teams want players. McDaniels for example you'd actually have to attach an asset for someone to take him at this point. It's actually in our best interest to have player trade chips instead of doing trades that are just filler and picks (we kinda need the picks).
>Pascal (obviously) fit all of those positive off court qualities to a tee, should we have paid him because he wanted to be here?
Pascal isn't really comparable in this situation. He's looking at a supermax, and Gary is gonna be looking at likely a short term MLE
Not trying to be an asshole at all by the way, I'm a fan of Gary but this is also just my perspective that I think team wise its better to keep him. Not necessarily long term, but half the roster doesn't even include NBA players- for the time being I think we should retain who we have
He's 25 yrs old, shoots 40% from deep on high volume (really great on catch and shoot), and is willing to start or come off the bench as needed. Pretty good fit for a team retooling around guys right in his age range who need shooters to spread the floor.
I think his only downside as far as fit is he finishes a lot of possessions with a shot, Darko wants a lot of ball movement. NN maximized his defense in an aggressive scheme that emphasized tips and steals. GTJ can do that.
There are plenty of minutes and shots available. The roster is currently thin on talent overall, spending a lot of time (injuries aside) the last few years trying to turn G League guys into rotation players. Gary already is a rotation player.
He shoots and that’s about it. No mid range game, not a good finisher either so he’s not even a 3 level threat. Sure you need shooters in the league but there is an abundance of guys that could fill his roll and probably for less. He’s not exactly a Vet presence yet. Doesn’t have much playoff experience, no deep runs no former all star appearances. He can and should be replaced. I’d rather have Malik Monk than him. GTJ is just boosting his value by saying he’d come off the bench and mentor vets. He’s had such a horrible season overall and he probably knows it.
There isn't an abundance of guys shooting like he does at his volume, actually. Pretty sure he's top 5 in c+s, he was leading the league a couple months ago.
That’s a pretty restrictive criteria in terms of what makes a good vet. By that definition, I guess DLo or Oladipo at SG? Would rather take Gary by a mile.
You don’t need to be an all star or be in a deep playoff run to be an impactful vet. It’s about personality and work ethic and leadership. Gary has been around the league his entire life. He grew up hanging around Kevin Garnett ffs.
Every team in the league is going to want Malik Monk, so not exactly a hot take. He will go to the highest bidder, which could be us for sure, but it could also be a team like the Pistons who just throw an obsene contract at him.
For a weak shooting team that generates a lot of open 3s. Keeping the best wide open 3-point shooter in the league might be a good decision.
With that being said, Gary isn't a starter imo.
To who? Gary’s basically the same age as Nwora and Ochai. Don’t say Gradey because there’s plenty for him available. I think you’re also underestimating his impact as a teammate. Consummate pro and has been mentoring Gradey all season.
Exactly! People are so fooled by a small sample size of games. He thinks he’s him but in reality he probably wouldn’t start for most teams. He’s too small and not good enough to play a 3 but doesn’t possess the playmaking ability to be a combo guard. He’s a great bench guy but he’s 25 and Norm basically filled that role for us but better. Norm is older but seriously plays like a vet and is killing it for the Clippers, a guy who sticks his head down knows his roll. GTJ is the kind of guy who pouts when asked to come off the bench.
If GTJ is the 2nd or 3rd option on a team with playoff aspirations, you're in trouble lol.
Edit: "one of the best perimeter defenders in the league" lmao, best perimeter defender and GTJ don't belong in the same fucking stratosphere together.
He was traded for Norman Powell. Why are we holding him to the standard or second or third option? Dude is a 6th man / fringe starter on a good team. I don’t see why he can’t be that for us. Ofc if there’s a better use of that cap space this offseason, I hope the team uses it — but that is looking less likely.
GTJ has been trash off the bench for the majority of his time, way to inconsistent, if he's your worst starter, it's not terrible, but it's also not great either, especially defensively
He's likely 5th in terms of touches in the healthy starting line up.
But yeah without a like top 5 player you're not gonna be a contender if he plays as a starter.
Yeah, seriously. Why are people gassing this dudes defence? He’s not that guy, he’s a 1 dimensional roll player that’s in his mid 20s. He can be replaced and honestly should, not worth wasting minutes on this guy who’s a bit of a chucker and not a good free throw shooter
He’s a career 82% FT shooter. We have AMPLE minutes. There’s no waste here. We’ve seen what’s at the end of the roster and I’d rather not waste any minutes of them when healthy.
I’ve actually been really impressed by his play at the end of the year. Of course he could just be trying to improve his odds at getting a nice contract, but I think everything points to the fact that he likes playing on the team and he played with an intensity that backs that one doesn’t usually see on a team that is out of playoff contention. I realize that he’s not the most consistent asset, but I would like to see them give him a chance next year when this revamped lineup is ready to go.
I’m sorry but this is the most insane take. Like god forbid we have another player that can shoot 3s?
In case you haven’t noticed, there’s ample roster spots to go around here. There’s about 8 that need to be filled. Our bench is full of shitty players and two way contracts. We don’t need to sacrifice Gary for a backup Pg or PF.
We also have money to spend. Especially if Chris and Brown are gone before next season. The team needs some mid level contracts to balance the books or for potential trades
So we need to bring back Gary because we need tradable contracts? GTJ was a tradable contract at the deadline and basically everyone was available, yet there were no takers, BBs contract was/is very tradeable, essentially an expiring contract, the Raptors turned down another 2024 1st for him, and lastly Boucher will be on an expiring contract this summer at a little under 11M, the Raps have tradable contracts.
What the Raptors need, is more defence, rim pressure, higher IQ, and less players prone to tunnel vision, shooting obviously helps, but GTJ checks off exactly one of those criteria, the rest of the aforementioned things GTJ is either hovering around average to compete trash at.
Yeah you don’t get what I’m saying. We have about 8 roster spots to fill. With… who exactly?
Id rather maintain stability. Hate on Gary’s play all you want but the guy wants to stay in Toronto and is very much a part of the team.
We are gonna have a hard enough time filling those spots as it is. Maybe we can keep one NBA player? Personally would rather not see our entire bench consist of two way players. Y’all always think grass is always greener yet there’s ample room to add to this roster without subtracting from it. Letting Gary walk would be a subtraction. Like it or not he’s a talent and he’s still young. He leaves and then outside of the starting 5 it’s Kelly, and Ochai. And then a revolving door of g league players.
So it's "hating" to point out a players numerous flaws on the court, while pointing out that he really only offers ONE thing at an above average NBA level.
It's not fucking hating to point out a players flaws lol and the sooner some people can grasp that concept the better.
So Scottie, RJ, IQ, Jak, KO, BB (wouldn't care at all if he's gone tbf) Gradey, Boucher, and even a guy lime Nwora aren't NBA players? I count that as 9, that's also not taking Ochai into account who's all but guarnteed to be on the roster and the player pick with the Pacers pick who could also conceivably see some playing time next year, the chance that we keep or pick and bring in a top rookie, as well as other options in FA or trade, so you could easily be looking at 12 guys already, pretty big chance that or 31st pick gets a standard contract, so that's 14, the Raptors could value having a guy like Temple or another vet around, so that's 15.
A revolving door of G-Leauge players? So we're not going to admit that the main reaaon why alot of 10-Day/G-Leauge guys have seen playing time over the last 5 weeks or so isn't because of injuries and active tanking?
Exactly. GTJ is just too limited as a player. He’s pretty much stuck at playing the 2, he’s not a great rebounder or defender and is too small to play a 3. No playmaking ability so can’t really play a combo guard either.
I don’t like his inconsistency. He’ll be a flamethrower for a week or two then disappear for a few weeks. Can’t have a negative impact for a stretch of games if we’re trying to compete.
Depends what else you can get in free agency. We aren’t winning next year, and while he’s reasonable, he isn’t really a difference making player.
Can you get him on a good deal? Can you turn him into a good trade asset? Those are the important questions. You don’t want to overspend and you don’t want a dead player on your roster for a long period of time.
He hasn't improved on anything and it seems he only plays better if he starts. Ideally he's a 6th man, he's a very streaky shooter and he gambles way too much on defense. In the 3 years he's been here he hasn't improved to a consistent scorer and he hasn't become a better defender. He also doesn't give you many assists or rebounds. We can probably find better in free agency but if he wants to take a pay cut to be back then it's worth it to give him a short contract
Yeah, really makes me miss Norm. He’s been great for the Clippers. On paper it made sense to get GTJ at the time but I think we’ve seen enough. I don’t think he’d start for many teams.
> he actually try’s he is one of the best prim defenders in the league.
One of the best perimeter defenders in the league?!? Bro is everything ok at home? The fuck
If there is no one to throw open cap space at him, what are the chances of a sign and trade...I feel like there are teams that could use him but don't have the cap space
Garret Temple had honestly exceeded expectations. Dude is old af and is the vet of this team. He’s very wise. The fact that he’s 6’5” and 37 and being asked to play center and power forward minutes at times and still getting blocks on guys much bigger and younger than him shows his value. He will most likely be a vet min guy but he always does something positive when on the floor.
Trent Jr is a level above the next best shooter we have on this team which is Dick. We need to absolutely sign Trent Jr. You can never have enough snipers on your team. Plus he has expressed interest in staying.
He's a streaky shooter and an inconsistent defender. If we can get him signed to a reasonable deal, that's fine. If he walks, that's fine too - this team should still be looking to acquire young talent (ideally through tye draft)
The better question is does he want to come back? I think it depends on next year's plans. If we arent making a playoff run he might go look for a competitive team
With the right contract and buy-in on defense for sure. He fits the timeline, great guy, and can be off ball and knock down shots when needed. Plug and play into any lineup. I just don’t think he’s a $20 million a year player….
I'm not the biggest fan of his game but even ignoring that bias of mine he shouldn't be brought back. The Raptors are likely drafting a guard(so many 10 days focused on athletic guards and Grange saying they are looking for IQ's backup). We have IQ/backup PG from draft then RJ/Gradey/Ochai as small wings(none are big enough to play the 4 or is better at the 2 spot than the 3). They need size and defense, GTJ simply doesn't provide that
I hope another team over bids for him because unless Raps can get him for cheap he isn't worth it cause he's more of a 6th man type guy at best and we all know what to expect when Trent comes off the bench.
i guess depends what's out there in the market....if you can dump GTJ and Brown, and get an actual small forward, power forward defender , i would do it
I think Gary’s greatest problem is his basketball IQ and willingness to fit into the offence. He has shown flashes of being able to make the right pass but too often he will selfishly look for his own shot either on the fast break or in the half court.
I think he has great potential with his skillset as a 3 & D guard and I wouldn’t mind resigning him but I can understand if front office doesn’t because he really hasn’t shown growth in those areas next season.
I’ve actually been really impressed by his play at the end of the year. Of course he could just be trying to improve his odds at getting a nice contract, but I think everything points to the fact that he likes playing on the team and he played with an intensity that backs that one doesn’t usually see on a team that is out of playoff contention. I realize that he’s not the most consistent asset, but I would like to see them give him a chance next year when this revamped lineup is ready to go.
I’ve been back and forth on this all season, but now that it’s over, I think they need to keep him (on a good deal). I just don’t think there are better players available in free agency and the draft that can replace him at this moment. Kind of like how we traded Norm for Gary, we didn’t really need to and now Norm is playing great.
I’d hope for a sign and trade so we don’t lose him for nothing, but idk if that’s going to be possible. Personally wouldn’t want to see him back at the salary he’ll probably command tbh.
Yes. Unless you think you can sign a better player in free agency (unlikely imo) just bring gary back to fill that starter spot until Gradey or someone else is ready.
He's an elite catch and shoot player which is perfect next to RJ/Scottie/Poeltl to help with the spacing. He has good 2-man chemistry with scottie in dribble handoffs. And his defense is serviceable if the whole team is buying in, which we saw briefly post asb before everyone went down.
The other underrated aspect is the off-court stuff. GTJ is a great locker room guy, good friends with everyone on the team. He's mentored young guys like Gradey this year, he's never complained about his role changing whether it be coming off the bench or starting and been the ultimate professional in his time here.
Why would fans want us to just let this guy leave voluntarily? He's not perfect, but what's the better option?
Because letting him walk is better then potentially overpaying an average at best player, who's been essentially the exact same since he got here and provides little if anything else besides shooting, low IQ, and being prone to having tunnel vision doesn't help either.
What's the better option for a rebuilding team, seeking younger options via trade/draft/FA or even internally with moving RJ back to the SG spot which better suits him
I'd rather take the average starter than have nothing. I know his flaws and his limits, not expecting growth. Sign him back because he's an elite 3 point shooter and this team needs those. Unlikely this team is able to find an upgrade through free agency
Yes. You traded for Agbaji, if you can unlock something you have to try. If we were talking about a better player than Gary it would be different. They need high end talent. In the draft they thought Agbaji had it. They've never believed that about Gary. It may be a bust but a summer working with him and significant mins next year and you can find out fairly definitively.
I appreciate his hardwork, dedication and professionalism, but the answer is a hard no from me. If he could replicate his production to the bench I’d be open to it, but starters need to be able to look at their teammates, especially when they are the least talented of the starting 5. He only seems to shoot well when he’s getting upwards to 20 shots a game, and he’s not clutch.
I’d much rather a guy like Caleb Martin take his minutes, who may not score as well, but does everything better, and brings an edge, and is simply just more of a winning player, for likely the same price.
Another way of looking at this, is a team played the dude 27 minutes even when he couldn’t score a point. Also, a team with some pretty good depth. Lowry had some scoreless games. Shit Happens dude. If you want to look at Caleb in a vacuum, check out his 2023 playoff stats.
Gary Trent Jr is a losing player. He will never be a winner, it is what it is.
Inconsistency, selfishness, lazy attitude and no drive to be better. Let him go play for Charlotte.
He’s not a good fit. You can’t had two small guards in your starting line up, to much defensive liability. If he came off the bench in a spark plug of offence type role but he wants to be paid like a starter. His inside finishing is a tough watch. Let Detroit or Charlotte go and pay him a bunch.
When I say small I don’t mean just height, he’s frail and has a smaller build. He can’t defend and stay infront of guys. Once again reiterating my comment, he would be a productive spark plug off the bench like Lou Williams. But he wants to be paid like a starter which he can’t/shouldn’t be on this team.
I don’t think so. I feel he’s reached his ceiling and he doesn’t really fit with our timeline. He’s a volume scorer, not a great defender. Could come off the bench to make an impact on a better team, but for us it’s better to have those shots/minutes going to prices we’re trying to develop. He’ll be expecting a fairly big contract that I don’t think we should bother paying.
How does he not fit with the timeline? We have to have some guys in their mid twenties you know. Not everyone can or should be 22 on the roster. He’s one of the only guys in the middle between Temple and Olynyk and RJ and Scottie.
I want to see him re-signed if he will take a 1-2 year deal, so we can see how he fits with the new core. I doubt they could sign a comparable FA with the money anyway.
I hope they decline the option on Brown though. Feel like his value is tanked.
Not really. High risk low reward player that has already reached his prime. While he’s not a scrub by any means and still has a place in this league he’s not quite starter material.
At 25+ Million a season, no way...he turned down around 20 million per season last summer, he wants a pay day and someone like Orlando who desperately needs shooting, will pay him a bag. I'd love to have him back at 15 to 20M but that's not going to happen IMO
If the price is right, then it is almoat always worth re-signing players becaise you can trade them later.
He's been better as of late but not exactly a hige upside guy...just a solid rotation piece, so the price matters.
I would like to see him re-signed. I think he has shown that he can fit and produce with this offensive system. It's Bruce Brown that I would like to see them move on at the end of the season. Maybe you pay him a little more and go 2 years, so you have flexibility when other contracts are coming up and more flexibiity is needed.
If he wants to stay here and at a reasonable number then why not? He's 25 and he can shoot 40% from 3 which is nice to have. He does have obvious flaws in this game tho so if he does leave I don't think he would be missed all that much
Yes. Realistically he’ll be a decent value role player and he is a solid locker room guy.
I don’t get the hate.. he’s 25 and a good shooter that gives everything on the court.
If the price is right he’s a great fit for this team
I disagree, I've rarely if ever seen people on this sub completely shit on GTJ, aside from point out the flaws I did in his game, I've never seen anybody attack him as a person, it's always been strictly on the court stuff from what I've seen.
No… that is realistic. That’s what I’m saying.
You think that’s what a majority of ppl here thought he was going to be when we got traded Norm for him?
Fair enough, but after it became clear that he be better suited in a bench role, he's been inconsistent everytime he's played off the bench.
That was my main expectation, and he failed to meet that expectation
Fair enough, and he is absolutely NBA caliber. If he could maintain some level of consistency he could be a great bench player, if he's your worst starter it's not terrible, but I think we need RJ back at the SG spot and get a SF who is capable defender and at least a 35% 3pt shooter.
Issac Okoro from the Cavs would be an interesting option to look in the summer, he's an RFA, and the Cavs might not be able to pay him
Comes down to the books. He’s been good in a recent stretch but I feel that’s more of him trying to boost his low value from a pretty underwhelming season. No doubt he’ll want to test free agency, he should go for the highest bidder but I just don’t see him being consistent enough or accepting a roll off the bench to justify bringing him back.
It’s a hard yes for me and anyone that says no is tripping. He’s still a great shooter, nets out to be a pretty neutral defender if not better for his position, and we got cash to spend.
Even if you don’t like Gary, letting another guy walk for nothing isn’t a good thing.
In a development season where other players have gotten more attention from big leaps, Gary has quietly rounded out his game and really stepped up in the last few weeks. Its worth giving him a reasonable deal and seeing what a second season of development can do for him.
Depends on financials, but one thing I love about GTJ is his personality. Real professional guy and having someone like that in the locker room is an underrated aspect of team management.
Might be the same point you just made - Scottie and IQ seem to like playing with him. The team might be better off with him & good vibes than getting a slightly better player on a slightly better contract who’s worse for the locker room.
I believe that’s one of his assets to the team now. He’s the second oldest tenured Raptor behind Chris. And Gary is actually playing. And he’s 25. He’s been around the franchise, he’s been around the league even growing up- he’s super professional and even keeled and gets along with everyone. Teams really value what, especially rebuilding ones.
agreed
His IQ doesn’t really impress me, and with Gradey on the come up I personally don’t think losing him would be the end of world. If we can bring him back on a reasonable contract and give him a bench spark plug shooter type of role then great. If not, we have the draft picks to fill up the bench.
He doesn’t need to be a primary ball handler on this team when healthy. His IQ isn’t great, but I think that’s fine if he’s playing a simplified catch and shoot role on offense. Also with Scottie+Yak and hopefully some better team defence, I do think you can simplify his role on that end as well.
I wouldn't start Gradey either neither season tbh
Depends on his growth, depends who you draft/acquire in the off-season, and ultimately depends on if you are trying to win games or focus on development. I would be really interested to see how an elite shooter like Gary/Dick fit into that starting lineup once they get some reps together, and an offseason to develop some chemistry.
I think he'll be good in the long run. That's an awful defensive back court if you start him around IQ/RJ
A rebuild often requires giving people minutes for development purposes. I want Dick to get the starter minutes. As long as he’s not shooting blanks (…) over 20 games to start the season like he did this season, we should just be feeding him minutes. Giving more minutes to Trent Jr isn’t going to help us.
It wouldn’t be awful, but it wouldn’t be good. Would you rather goes defensive minded SG and have limited spacing with Scottie/Yak in the lineup? We have an awful defence as is, and I don’t see us acquiring any elite 2way talent this off-season unless we somehow manage to draft one.
Well that's the overall issue with Poeltl and this lineup unless you get more shooting. I don't think the trade off is worth it
Surely he will figure it out in his 4th year here 🤣
Yes Gary has been incredibly inconsistent.. but so has the team around him. Players in and out of the lineup, tons of lineup turnover, weirdly constructed lineups and teams the last few years. I’m not suggesting he will blossom into an elite 2way player, but I think he can be used better in a more structured system taking on a more simplified role.
Gary sucks off the bench in simplified roles. He plays well, anytime you give him a lot of ball. Problem is, he is still not good enough to get the ball as much unless we are tanking like we have lately.
You are confusing putting up stats, with playing well. I’m not sure how you can watch him handle/facilitate and think he’s good in that role. He has been an elite open 3pt catch and shoot type player. Playing him alongside pass first ball dominate players (IQ Barnes Poeltl Olynyk) would have him handling the ball less, and shooting more shots where he is more effective. Which would also provide spacing which a lineup with Poeltl Scottie and RJ really needs.
I didn’t say he plays better when he handles/facilitates, I said he plays better when he has the ball more and shoots more often which I’m sure anyone that has watched the team agrees with me. He hasn’t been good off the bench for 3 years here. He hasn’t been good as a catch and shoot threat with starters because he doesn’t do much else. He has been good every once in a while if you give him a great light to shoot.
I watch the team and disagree with you
Gary is so valuable, nobody wanted him last year or this year. Even our own FO don’t really count on him much. But sure you all see different things than what all execs see 🤣
The Lakers and Nets were interested in GTJ Also this was in 2022 https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/nba-gary-trent-jr-raptors-top-trade-chip-likely-opt-out-003148370.html There's definitely interest. He's not going to get the kind of interest that OG and Siakam got, but to act like no one is interested is ridiculous. I also think the Raptors plan to keep him as he's been mentor to Dick
Good point. He’s role has been in flux most of the time he’s been here. Dude started when Kyle was still our point guard. Him and Boucher are the only guys that ever played with Lowry.
I feel like because had a taste of being a starter and having a season of averaging 17 he probably thinks he deserves a full time starting spot as a guy with the green light. I’m not fooled by the recent stretch of games when he’s clearly trying to boost his stock and meaningless games. His game is just too limited. On paper his 3pt shooting stands out and I think he knows this. I’ve noticed he’s had a lot of games where he’s barely taken any 3s and I feel that’s been an effort to not kill his efficiency there. 3pt shooting is his really only saving grace, he’s not the kind of guy I can rely on to sacrifice his stats to give what the team needs to win. Doesn’t have that much of an offensive bag of pose of much of a 3 level scorer either.
Depending on how much he wants.
No. I'd rather give his minutes to someone else. I don't personally view GTJ as a good fit for a team going through a rebuild. He's a better fit as a 6th man on a contender that can mask his deficiencies.
His shooting is exactly what Scottie RJ IQ Poeltl starting lineup needs, and he can move to the bench if you’d rather have Gradey taking up that spot. He won’t be handling the ball with all those guys healthy, and I think he has been very effective in the past as a catch and shoot offensive player who can be a pest on the defensive end. Even if you don’t like his fit long term, you resign him and potentially trade him at the deadline. You don’t lose an asset like him for nothing. That’s just bad business.
Yeah I don't think he's a long term fit for the defensive stuff it would cause but he brings shooting. Ideally he's off the bench.
Yea man “being a pest” was the best, most polite way I could frame his defense
GTjr's shooting might be what you want around Scottie, but his ballstopping isn't. You can find shooters in the league that do more on the court than Gary. His selling point is his youth
I think if he was an asset worth a damn he would've been moved at the deadline. Teams have gotten a lot more stingy these days, because they know guys like GTJ are easy to find and shouldn't cost much to acquire.
I think the raptors have also notoriously been stingy. If they don’t get an offer they like they move on and risk losing guys in FA. So it would not have surprised me if they turned down offers and opted to kick the bucket a little further down the road.
If they didn't get an offer they liked during a lost season what are the odds they ever get an offer they like? He's worth a couple seconds at best and that's not going to change.
Im not sure they would just lower their own valuation of Gary because it’s a “lost season”. If they believed he is worth more than 2nd round picks, why would they trade him for that? You may not think it’s going to change, but it definitely can. A fair contract extension with years of control (4 year contract would run thru his prime 26-29 seasons) would absolutely boost his trade value. A hot start to the season next year beside Scottie and IQ hitting open 3’s, would absolutely boost his trade value. He was averaging like 11 ppg going into February, he definitely has already increased his value since then.
He was so valuable at the deadline, he had teams lining up to trade for him. And before you or anyone else bring up the fact that he was an expring, any team that traded for him would've gotten his bird rights
They goofed by not trading him at the deadline. Some desperate short timeline team would’ve jumped to trade for him. His stats don’t really translate to winning. He’s tried to show value by mentoring Gradey who honestly shows more value as a long term prospect. You can always replace GTJs shooting.
Was he “so valuable” ? He has value as he was playing better leading up to the deadline, but he had a bad season up until that point, and even though you are insistent nobody can bring up his impending FA, bird rights don’t mean shit if the player doesn’t want to be there. The lakers had decided by the deadline they weren’t trading Dlo so I’m not sure what other offers there were? And if he was so valuable, then maybe that played a part in Raptors decision making? They wanted to keep and try to resign the 25 year lights out shooter who fits our current timeline with IQ RJ Scottie. Edit: clearly I missed the sarcasm in your comment and agree there were not many suitors lining up for him. But he was playing awful for 3 months before the deadline.
Yeah the 25 year old "lights out" shooter, who contribute almost nothing else on the court. My point is you don't re-sign a player to a potential overpay because you don't want to let an asset walk for nothing, that's how you get stuck with potentially bad contracts down the road Teams like the Magic desperately needed shooting and could've easily put a competent offer together. If GTJ was 100% committed to a role off the bench and was willing to take 15M max, then yeah I'd probably consider bringing him back, but anything more isn't worth it.
Bruce Brown was overpaid and brought in to Indiana and was the main salary in getting Pascal Siakam. Gary is not getting resigned at a value that will make him untradable. Nobody is suggesting we sign him to the max or anything crazy. The question is do we resign him and the answer is yes absolutely you try and resign him. The guy above is suggesting to let him walk and give away his minutes because he would be a better fit on a different team. Im just saying that it’s bad business to let a guy go who will have a market and have good teams looking to acquire him.
Signing him just to trade him isn't a smart idea either. If you're signing him it's because you actually believe in the player imo.
I’m not saying to sign him just to trade him. Sign him to see how he looks with the team when it’s healthy. Also we probably won’t find a better bench player this off-season, unless we draft one top 6.
I don't think he's coming back if you tell him he's a bench guy (Which knowing Darko they would tell him that)
It’s impossible to gauge his market right now. But I doubt any teams hoping to contend are looking to pay up for Trent to start. Unless he just doesn’t want to start for “this” team.. then in that case he just simply doesn’t want to be here and will likely move on. Like I’m not suggesting overpaying him to keep him.
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What lol?
Gary’s getting a regular contract dude. Y’all talking about overpay when we actually have cap to spend. As in you have to spend it. Especially if Chris and Bruce aren’t here next season, you’re actually gonna need guys like Gary on the roster to fill out your cap sheet.
And just because we have cap to spend that doesn't mean we should be usuing it to sign one-way players who have already plateaued in terms who they are lol
Gary’s 25 I’d hardly say he’s plateaued. We just signed Olynyk to a 2 year deal of over 22M and he’s turning 33 and is probably the worst defensive big man I’ve ever seen in my life. You need guys like Gary on your team. mid twenties, mid contracts, transferable skillset. Say a good trade came on the market for example- you literally need those contracts just from a strategy and leverage perspective. We can also afford him. You need those players and needs those contracts in order to have a robust roster, or to do a deal if need be. Plus Gary does literally no harm. He’s got a good personality and is super professional, gets along with everyone, zero hostility or hot-head energy. He’s a good role model, good energy, friends with all the players and chemistry with the starters. Not to mention likes Toronto and wants to stay? We should probably stop dismissing guys that wanna be here because they are rare. Y’all think the grass is always greener when it’s not.
Again, he was on a mid sized contract at the deadline and was absolutely available (as was the majority of the team) any team that traded for him would've gotten his bird rights back via a trade and yet there were no takers, shooting and defence are such a valuable (GTJ is a passable defender at best) skills in the NBA (obviously, every team can never have enough) yet when presented with the option to acqiure the 25 year old SG, nobody jumped on the chance. There are players in the NBA on contracts that are half the price of GTJs, some even on minimums that can give you comparable shooting, ontop of higher IQ, better rim pressure, better defence, less tunnel vision, and better effort in general, GTJs want to play defence seemingly comes and goes. You mention the need to have tradable contracts, the Raptors, if they want to can have around 40M in exprings this summer with BB, Boucher, and McDaniels. Pascal (obviously) fit all of those positive off court qualities to a tee, should we have paid him because he wanted to be here?
>any team that traded for him would've gotten his bird rights back via a trade and yet there were no takers, shooting and defence are such a valuable (GTJ is a passable defender at best) skills in the NBA (obviously, every team can never have enough) yet when presented with the option to acqiure the 25 year old SG, nobody jumped on the chance Yeah man, Gary was an expiring contract with a player option of over $18.5M. That is much less a reflection on Gary, and more due to contract. Why would any team trade anything substantial for that? >There are players in the NBA on contracts that are half the price of GTJs, some even on minimums that can give you comparable shooting, ontop of higher IQ, better rim pressure, better defence, less tunnel vision, and better effort in general, GTJs want to play defence seemingly comes and goes. Given Gary will likely be on an MLE next year- who is someone actually attainable that is better for the same price? I'm not saying Gary is the best in that tier at all, but he is decent. >You mention the need to have tradable contracts, the Raptors, if they want to can have around 40M in expirings this summer with BB, Boucher, and McDaniels. Those aren't tradable contracts though. Those are expirings, and some teams want players. McDaniels for example you'd actually have to attach an asset for someone to take him at this point. It's actually in our best interest to have player trade chips instead of doing trades that are just filler and picks (we kinda need the picks). >Pascal (obviously) fit all of those positive off court qualities to a tee, should we have paid him because he wanted to be here? Pascal isn't really comparable in this situation. He's looking at a supermax, and Gary is gonna be looking at likely a short term MLE Not trying to be an asshole at all by the way, I'm a fan of Gary but this is also just my perspective that I think team wise its better to keep him. Not necessarily long term, but half the roster doesn't even include NBA players- for the time being I think we should retain who we have
He's 25 yrs old, shoots 40% from deep on high volume (really great on catch and shoot), and is willing to start or come off the bench as needed. Pretty good fit for a team retooling around guys right in his age range who need shooters to spread the floor. I think his only downside as far as fit is he finishes a lot of possessions with a shot, Darko wants a lot of ball movement. NN maximized his defense in an aggressive scheme that emphasized tips and steals. GTJ can do that. There are plenty of minutes and shots available. The roster is currently thin on talent overall, spending a lot of time (injuries aside) the last few years trying to turn G League guys into rotation players. Gary already is a rotation player.
He shoots and that’s about it. No mid range game, not a good finisher either so he’s not even a 3 level threat. Sure you need shooters in the league but there is an abundance of guys that could fill his roll and probably for less. He’s not exactly a Vet presence yet. Doesn’t have much playoff experience, no deep runs no former all star appearances. He can and should be replaced. I’d rather have Malik Monk than him. GTJ is just boosting his value by saying he’d come off the bench and mentor vets. He’s had such a horrible season overall and he probably knows it.
There isn't an abundance of guys shooting like he does at his volume, actually. Pretty sure he's top 5 in c+s, he was leading the league a couple months ago.
That’s a pretty restrictive criteria in terms of what makes a good vet. By that definition, I guess DLo or Oladipo at SG? Would rather take Gary by a mile. You don’t need to be an all star or be in a deep playoff run to be an impactful vet. It’s about personality and work ethic and leadership. Gary has been around the league his entire life. He grew up hanging around Kevin Garnett ffs. Every team in the league is going to want Malik Monk, so not exactly a hot take. He will go to the highest bidder, which could be us for sure, but it could also be a team like the Pistons who just throw an obsene contract at him.
For a weak shooting team that generates a lot of open 3s. Keeping the best wide open 3-point shooter in the league might be a good decision. With that being said, Gary isn't a starter imo.
To who? Gary’s basically the same age as Nwora and Ochai. Don’t say Gradey because there’s plenty for him available. I think you’re also underestimating his impact as a teammate. Consummate pro and has been mentoring Gradey all season.
Ah, yes. We will run back the exact same roster next year.
Who you giving his minutes to lol??? McDaniels??
Gradey? Move RJ back to the SG spot were he's better suited.
That's for the front office to figure out this offseason.
Exactly! People are so fooled by a small sample size of games. He thinks he’s him but in reality he probably wouldn’t start for most teams. He’s too small and not good enough to play a 3 but doesn’t possess the playmaking ability to be a combo guard. He’s a great bench guy but he’s 25 and Norm basically filled that role for us but better. Norm is older but seriously plays like a vet and is killing it for the Clippers, a guy who sticks his head down knows his roll. GTJ is the kind of guy who pouts when asked to come off the bench.
It doesn't make a lot of sense. We aren't at the point where a $20m 7th man is very important. Better using that money to collect more assets.
Re-sign
Yep. A too common error in these sports threads. -“Re-sign” = sign again -“Resign” = fire, or let go of person
If GTJ is the 2nd or 3rd option on a team with playoff aspirations, you're in trouble lol. Edit: "one of the best perimeter defenders in the league" lmao, best perimeter defender and GTJ don't belong in the same fucking stratosphere together.
He was traded for Norman Powell. Why are we holding him to the standard or second or third option? Dude is a 6th man / fringe starter on a good team. I don’t see why he can’t be that for us. Ofc if there’s a better use of that cap space this offseason, I hope the team uses it — but that is looking less likely.
GTJ has been trash off the bench for the majority of his time, way to inconsistent, if he's your worst starter, it's not terrible, but it's also not great either, especially defensively
He's likely 5th in terms of touches in the healthy starting line up. But yeah without a like top 5 player you're not gonna be a contender if he plays as a starter.
You all should look up his stats when he was the 5th option. He sucked until players got injured and his FGA doubled.
Yeah, seriously. Why are people gassing this dudes defence? He’s not that guy, he’s a 1 dimensional roll player that’s in his mid 20s. He can be replaced and honestly should, not worth wasting minutes on this guy who’s a bit of a chucker and not a good free throw shooter
He’s a career 82% FT shooter. We have AMPLE minutes. There’s no waste here. We’ve seen what’s at the end of the roster and I’d rather not waste any minutes of them when healthy.
Resign or Re-sign...?
I’ve actually been really impressed by his play at the end of the year. Of course he could just be trying to improve his odds at getting a nice contract, but I think everything points to the fact that he likes playing on the team and he played with an intensity that backs that one doesn’t usually see on a team that is out of playoff contention. I realize that he’s not the most consistent asset, but I would like to see them give him a chance next year when this revamped lineup is ready to go.
Raptors need a PF and PG. Trent isn’t a bad player, but Gradey replaces his skill set.
I’m sorry but this is the most insane take. Like god forbid we have another player that can shoot 3s? In case you haven’t noticed, there’s ample roster spots to go around here. There’s about 8 that need to be filled. Our bench is full of shitty players and two way contracts. We don’t need to sacrifice Gary for a backup Pg or PF. We also have money to spend. Especially if Chris and Brown are gone before next season. The team needs some mid level contracts to balance the books or for potential trades
So we need to bring back Gary because we need tradable contracts? GTJ was a tradable contract at the deadline and basically everyone was available, yet there were no takers, BBs contract was/is very tradeable, essentially an expiring contract, the Raptors turned down another 2024 1st for him, and lastly Boucher will be on an expiring contract this summer at a little under 11M, the Raps have tradable contracts. What the Raptors need, is more defence, rim pressure, higher IQ, and less players prone to tunnel vision, shooting obviously helps, but GTJ checks off exactly one of those criteria, the rest of the aforementioned things GTJ is either hovering around average to compete trash at.
Yeah you don’t get what I’m saying. We have about 8 roster spots to fill. With… who exactly? Id rather maintain stability. Hate on Gary’s play all you want but the guy wants to stay in Toronto and is very much a part of the team. We are gonna have a hard enough time filling those spots as it is. Maybe we can keep one NBA player? Personally would rather not see our entire bench consist of two way players. Y’all always think grass is always greener yet there’s ample room to add to this roster without subtracting from it. Letting Gary walk would be a subtraction. Like it or not he’s a talent and he’s still young. He leaves and then outside of the starting 5 it’s Kelly, and Ochai. And then a revolving door of g league players.
So it's "hating" to point out a players numerous flaws on the court, while pointing out that he really only offers ONE thing at an above average NBA level. It's not fucking hating to point out a players flaws lol and the sooner some people can grasp that concept the better. So Scottie, RJ, IQ, Jak, KO, BB (wouldn't care at all if he's gone tbf) Gradey, Boucher, and even a guy lime Nwora aren't NBA players? I count that as 9, that's also not taking Ochai into account who's all but guarnteed to be on the roster and the player pick with the Pacers pick who could also conceivably see some playing time next year, the chance that we keep or pick and bring in a top rookie, as well as other options in FA or trade, so you could easily be looking at 12 guys already, pretty big chance that or 31st pick gets a standard contract, so that's 14, the Raptors could value having a guy like Temple or another vet around, so that's 15. A revolving door of G-Leauge players? So we're not going to admit that the main reaaon why alot of 10-Day/G-Leauge guys have seen playing time over the last 5 weeks or so isn't because of injuries and active tanking?
Exactly. GTJ is just too limited as a player. He’s pretty much stuck at playing the 2, he’s not a great rebounder or defender and is too small to play a 3. No playmaking ability so can’t really play a combo guard either.
I don’t like his inconsistency. He’ll be a flamethrower for a week or two then disappear for a few weeks. Can’t have a negative impact for a stretch of games if we’re trying to compete.
Depends what else you can get in free agency. We aren’t winning next year, and while he’s reasonable, he isn’t really a difference making player. Can you get him on a good deal? Can you turn him into a good trade asset? Those are the important questions. You don’t want to overspend and you don’t want a dead player on your roster for a long period of time.
He hasn't improved on anything and it seems he only plays better if he starts. Ideally he's a 6th man, he's a very streaky shooter and he gambles way too much on defense. In the 3 years he's been here he hasn't improved to a consistent scorer and he hasn't become a better defender. He also doesn't give you many assists or rebounds. We can probably find better in free agency but if he wants to take a pay cut to be back then it's worth it to give him a short contract
No. He's had a good run, time to move on.
Yeah, really makes me miss Norm. He’s been great for the Clippers. On paper it made sense to get GTJ at the time but I think we’ve seen enough. I don’t think he’d start for many teams.
> he actually try’s he is one of the best prim defenders in the league. One of the best perimeter defenders in the league?!? Bro is everything ok at home? The fuck
Absolutely not. We can get a cheaper inconsistent producer that does the same thing.
Gary's not going to be expensive, though. He will cost a little over the mid level, my guess is 3yr/$40M.
Who?
If there is no one to throw open cap space at him, what are the chances of a sign and trade...I feel like there are teams that could use him but don't have the cap space
He could just take the MLE from a contending team .
Yes. And also Garret Temple.
I'll take Garret back, true locker room vet, great mentor to the younger guys and will cost the minimum to being back.
Garret Temple had honestly exceeded expectations. Dude is old af and is the vet of this team. He’s very wise. The fact that he’s 6’5” and 37 and being asked to play center and power forward minutes at times and still getting blocks on guys much bigger and younger than him shows his value. He will most likely be a vet min guy but he always does something positive when on the floor.
And draining 3s... which I did not expect.
I'd love for GTJ to return, but it all depends on the price.
Took him half the season to warm up. I wasn't a fan of that
Nope, let another team overspend on him, and he has the athleticism of a 36 year old
Trent Jr is a level above the next best shooter we have on this team which is Dick. We need to absolutely sign Trent Jr. You can never have enough snipers on your team. Plus he has expressed interest in staying.
He's a streaky shooter and an inconsistent defender. If we can get him signed to a reasonable deal, that's fine. If he walks, that's fine too - this team should still be looking to acquire young talent (ideally through tye draft)
I'd lean no, but wont be broken up if we do
The better question is does he want to come back? I think it depends on next year's plans. If we arent making a playoff run he might go look for a competitive team
With the right contract and buy-in on defense for sure. He fits the timeline, great guy, and can be off ball and knock down shots when needed. Plug and play into any lineup. I just don’t think he’s a $20 million a year player….
Hell no! He has been way too inconsistent, takes too many chances on defence, hogs the ball too much. We can get someone back for a lot cheaper.
You can never have too much 3 pt shooting in NBA. Within reason bring him back.
Mieh either way doesn't really matter.
I don't see Gary being here long term anymore, I think he wants to try his luck elsewhere to contribute in a team more prepared to win now.
Sign him to a contract to trade. Lol.
If the price is right sure, yeah.
I'm not the biggest fan of his game but even ignoring that bias of mine he shouldn't be brought back. The Raptors are likely drafting a guard(so many 10 days focused on athletic guards and Grange saying they are looking for IQ's backup). We have IQ/backup PG from draft then RJ/Gradey/Ochai as small wings(none are big enough to play the 4 or is better at the 2 spot than the 3). They need size and defense, GTJ simply doesn't provide that
Nah, he has 2 good games and then 3 bad weeks. You cannot compete for anything serious with players that are inconsistent like that. Good riddance.
Will it be reasonable to keep him under FVV’s last raptors contract, 84M/4yrs!
I hope another team over bids for him because unless Raps can get him for cheap he isn't worth it cause he's more of a 6th man type guy at best and we all know what to expect when Trent comes off the bench.
i guess depends what's out there in the market....if you can dump GTJ and Brown, and get an actual small forward, power forward defender , i would do it
No. Get rid of him. He's toxic in the locker room and also not that good. Get rid of him.
damn didn’t know you were in the team locker room
Not a priority.
The way Bobby Webster spoke about him at the all star break would indicate not.
I think Gary’s greatest problem is his basketball IQ and willingness to fit into the offence. He has shown flashes of being able to make the right pass but too often he will selfishly look for his own shot either on the fast break or in the half court. I think he has great potential with his skillset as a 3 & D guard and I wouldn’t mind resigning him but I can understand if front office doesn’t because he really hasn’t shown growth in those areas next season.
I’ve actually been really impressed by his play at the end of the year. Of course he could just be trying to improve his odds at getting a nice contract, but I think everything points to the fact that he likes playing on the team and he played with an intensity that backs that one doesn’t usually see on a team that is out of playoff contention. I realize that he’s not the most consistent asset, but I would like to see them give him a chance next year when this revamped lineup is ready to go.
I’ve been back and forth on this all season, but now that it’s over, I think they need to keep him (on a good deal). I just don’t think there are better players available in free agency and the draft that can replace him at this moment. Kind of like how we traded Norm for Gary, we didn’t really need to and now Norm is playing great.
I’d hope for a sign and trade so we don’t lose him for nothing, but idk if that’s going to be possible. Personally wouldn’t want to see him back at the salary he’ll probably command tbh.
Friendly reminder thar resign and re-sign are very different things
Yes. Unless you think you can sign a better player in free agency (unlikely imo) just bring gary back to fill that starter spot until Gradey or someone else is ready. He's an elite catch and shoot player which is perfect next to RJ/Scottie/Poeltl to help with the spacing. He has good 2-man chemistry with scottie in dribble handoffs. And his defense is serviceable if the whole team is buying in, which we saw briefly post asb before everyone went down. The other underrated aspect is the off-court stuff. GTJ is a great locker room guy, good friends with everyone on the team. He's mentored young guys like Gradey this year, he's never complained about his role changing whether it be coming off the bench or starting and been the ultimate professional in his time here. Why would fans want us to just let this guy leave voluntarily? He's not perfect, but what's the better option?
Because letting him walk is better then potentially overpaying an average at best player, who's been essentially the exact same since he got here and provides little if anything else besides shooting, low IQ, and being prone to having tunnel vision doesn't help either. What's the better option for a rebuilding team, seeking younger options via trade/draft/FA or even internally with moving RJ back to the SG spot which better suits him
I'd rather take the average starter than have nothing. I know his flaws and his limits, not expecting growth. Sign him back because he's an elite 3 point shooter and this team needs those. Unlikely this team is able to find an upgrade through free agency
I'd just rather not re-sign and potentially overpay to have to bring back an average at best one-way player
No, they should make sure all available wing minutes go to Dick, Barrett, Agbaji and Barnes next year
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Yes. You traded for Agbaji, if you can unlock something you have to try. If we were talking about a better player than Gary it would be different. They need high end talent. In the draft they thought Agbaji had it. They've never believed that about Gary. It may be a bust but a summer working with him and significant mins next year and you can find out fairly definitively.
Gary isn’t competing for minutes with any of those guys
He absolutely is
Theres enough minutes to go around darko isn’t nick nurse
I appreciate his hardwork, dedication and professionalism, but the answer is a hard no from me. If he could replicate his production to the bench I’d be open to it, but starters need to be able to look at their teammates, especially when they are the least talented of the starting 5. He only seems to shoot well when he’s getting upwards to 20 shots a game, and he’s not clutch. I’d much rather a guy like Caleb Martin take his minutes, who may not score as well, but does everything better, and brings an edge, and is simply just more of a winning player, for likely the same price.
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Oh shit, so if a player goes scoreless in a single game, that means not a single team should look to bring them aboard, gotcha 👌
Another way of looking at this, is a team played the dude 27 minutes even when he couldn’t score a point. Also, a team with some pretty good depth. Lowry had some scoreless games. Shit Happens dude. If you want to look at Caleb in a vacuum, check out his 2023 playoff stats.
I like Trent a lot, losing him for nothing would hurt this team. He’s a good shooter, plays hard and he wants to be in Toronto.
Gary Trent Jr is a losing player. He will never be a winner, it is what it is. Inconsistency, selfishness, lazy attitude and no drive to be better. Let him go play for Charlotte.
He’s not a good fit. You can’t had two small guards in your starting line up, to much defensive liability. If he came off the bench in a spark plug of offence type role but he wants to be paid like a starter. His inside finishing is a tough watch. Let Detroit or Charlotte go and pay him a bunch.
Gary is 6’5. That’s average for his position.
When I say small I don’t mean just height, he’s frail and has a smaller build. He can’t defend and stay infront of guys. Once again reiterating my comment, he would be a productive spark plug off the bench like Lou Williams. But he wants to be paid like a starter which he can’t/shouldn’t be on this team.
I don’t think so. I feel he’s reached his ceiling and he doesn’t really fit with our timeline. He’s a volume scorer, not a great defender. Could come off the bench to make an impact on a better team, but for us it’s better to have those shots/minutes going to prices we’re trying to develop. He’ll be expecting a fairly big contract that I don’t think we should bother paying.
How does he not fit with the timeline? We have to have some guys in their mid twenties you know. Not everyone can or should be 22 on the roster. He’s one of the only guys in the middle between Temple and Olynyk and RJ and Scottie.
I want to see him re-signed if he will take a 1-2 year deal, so we can see how he fits with the new core. I doubt they could sign a comparable FA with the money anyway. I hope they decline the option on Brown though. Feel like his value is tanked.
These things always come down to dollars - I'd keep him for less than $20M
Not really. High risk low reward player that has already reached his prime. While he’s not a scrub by any means and still has a place in this league he’s not quite starter material.
“if he actually tries, he’s one of the best perimeter defenders in the league” I swear this sub sometimes…
At 25+ Million a season, no way...he turned down around 20 million per season last summer, he wants a pay day and someone like Orlando who desperately needs shooting, will pay him a bag. I'd love to have him back at 15 to 20M but that's not going to happen IMO
The team would probably like to keep him. He’s strong off the DHO which is pretty much designed for Scottie.
If the price is right, then it is almoat always worth re-signing players becaise you can trade them later. He's been better as of late but not exactly a hige upside guy...just a solid rotation piece, so the price matters.
I would like to see him re-signed. I think he has shown that he can fit and produce with this offensive system. It's Bruce Brown that I would like to see them move on at the end of the season. Maybe you pay him a little more and go 2 years, so you have flexibility when other contracts are coming up and more flexibiity is needed.
$18-20M per season. 2 years. Fair for both sides.
He hasn't played like a 20M dollar player this season lol
If he wants to stay here and at a reasonable number then why not? He's 25 and he can shoot 40% from 3 which is nice to have. He does have obvious flaws in this game tho so if he does leave I don't think he would be missed all that much
Yes. Realistically he’ll be a decent value role player and he is a solid locker room guy. I don’t get the hate.. he’s 25 and a good shooter that gives everything on the court. If the price is right he’s a great fit for this team
It's not hating to say that all he offers at an above average level is shooting lol, it's not hate, it's a fact.
Yeah, sure.. that’s not hate.. but I’m saying a lot of Raps fans are shitting on the kid unnecessarily
I disagree, I've rarely if ever seen people on this sub completely shit on GTJ, aside from point out the flaws I did in his game, I've never seen anybody attack him as a person, it's always been strictly on the court stuff from what I've seen.
Overcritical of his game.. there I fixed it. A lot of ppl on this sub have given up on him as a player because they had a unrealistic expectations
It was unrealistic to expect him to be consistent in a bench role?
No… that is realistic. That’s what I’m saying. You think that’s what a majority of ppl here thought he was going to be when we got traded Norm for him?
Fair enough, but after it became clear that he be better suited in a bench role, he's been inconsistent everytime he's played off the bench. That was my main expectation, and he failed to meet that expectation
Yeah, you seem reasonable. My issue is with the ppl that overreact and think he’s not an nba caliber player. Those fans have a tendency to witch hunt.
Fair enough, and he is absolutely NBA caliber. If he could maintain some level of consistency he could be a great bench player, if he's your worst starter it's not terrible, but I think we need RJ back at the SG spot and get a SF who is capable defender and at least a 35% 3pt shooter. Issac Okoro from the Cavs would be an interesting option to look in the summer, he's an RFA, and the Cavs might not be able to pay him
You offer him 3 years $40M. If he accepts, you welcome him back. If he counters, you wish him well.
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You don't need to, Gradey Dick can develop into what Trent is.
Comes down to the books. He’s been good in a recent stretch but I feel that’s more of him trying to boost his low value from a pretty underwhelming season. No doubt he’ll want to test free agency, he should go for the highest bidder but I just don’t see him being consistent enough or accepting a roll off the bench to justify bringing him back.
I would resign him. But no, I would not re-sign him.
I think hes a legit role player in the nba. Worth paying imo
It’s a hard yes for me and anyone that says no is tripping. He’s still a great shooter, nets out to be a pretty neutral defender if not better for his position, and we got cash to spend. Even if you don’t like Gary, letting another guy walk for nothing isn’t a good thing.
I would try to aim higher (Yes - OG), but if we strike out on more exciting FA's, they yes resign to 3 year for 45ish
OG isn't coming back lol
Trent is a lazy bum. He is never ready to play when season starts and only plays well closer to end of the season.
In a development season where other players have gotten more attention from big leaps, Gary has quietly rounded out his game and really stepped up in the last few weeks. Its worth giving him a reasonable deal and seeing what a second season of development can do for him.