Blue Devils in the NBA 2023-2024

Oh, the highest earners have seen their salaries increase exponentially in the past few decades. The rabble, not so lucky.
All salaries are inflated as best I can tell. The Bulls just signed Jalen Smith, a career backup C, to a 3-year $27 million contract. That's $9 million a year for a guy that gets may 18-20 mpg.
 
All salaries are inflated as best I can tell. The Bulls just signed Jalen Smith, a career backup C, to a 3-year $27 million contract. That's $9 million a year for a guy that gets may 18-20 mpg.
Yup. Huge Knicks fan. Love Hartenstein. But 3 years, $87 million from the Thunder? Are you kidding me?
 
All salaries are inflated as best I can tell. The Bulls just signed Jalen Smith, a career backup C, to a 3-year $27 million contract. That's $9 million a year for a guy that gets may 18-20 mpg.

There's not only a cap. There is a floor. Some of these contracts are just so the team can get to the floor. Fred VanFleet's contract at Houston was one of those to get to the minimum.
 
But the guy who will break the record first will be Luka Doncic. He is a free agent next summer and will be able to sign a 5 year deal for something close to $346 million.

Gonna be intriguing if Luka can add a ring to that stash. I like our guy Jayson’s chances of keeping that from happening, but Dallas has some nice pieces with veteran leadership in the backcourt and upcoming paint presence between Kyrie and Dereck.
 
There is way too much $$$$ in pro sports and the collegiate model is being pulled/ pushed that way which is not a good sign.
But fans of real pro sports aren’t expected to cut checks to recruit players to the team. Also the pros have salary caps and floors as well as contracts. College fans are now expected to pay players who have no contracts and are perpetual free agents.
 
From ESPN:

“The Milwaukee Bucks and free agent guard Gary Trent Jr. agreed to a one-year deal on Tuesday, his agents Rich Paul and Lucas Newton of Klutch Sports told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Trent, 25, joins Milwaukee after spending the past three and a half seasons in Toronto. He averaged 13.7 points on 43% shooting in 71 games during the 2023-24 season while shooting 39% from 3, his best mark since the 2019-20 season.”
 
From ESPN:

“The Milwaukee Bucks and free agent guard Gary Trent Jr. agreed to a one-year deal on Tuesday, his agents Rich Paul and Lucas Newton of Klutch Sports told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Trent, 25, joins Milwaukee after spending the past three and a half seasons in Toronto. He averaged 13.7 points on 43% shooting in 71 games during the 2023-24 season while shooting 39% from 3, his best mark since the 2019-20 season.”
This is a super pick-up for the Bucks, who probably couldn't have done any better given cap restrictions and who was available. Trent slots in as the presumptive starter along with Lillard, Giannis, Middleton, and (maybe) Brook Lopez, whose status is still unclear, as the Bucks chase a title with their aging core.

Trent will face natural comparisons with his former teammate, Grayson Allen, the Bucks' starting 2-guard from two seasons ago. I'm hoping Trent has a little more offensive versatility and defensive chops.

Amazingly, Trent is the fifth player from the '17-'18 Duke squad to play for the Bucks, joining Allen, Trevon Duval (3 games), Marques Bolden (2 games), and Javin DeLaurier (1 game). For Duval and DeLaurier, those games represent their only NBA action.
 
I feel for Trent, who found a very dry free agent market this summer as teams scramble to avoid the second apron. A guy who averaged 15+ ppg on 40+% 3-point shooting over the past 4 years is only getting a vet minimum deal from the Bucks. I would have thought he would be a bargain at 3-years and $24 mil.

Hope the market is better for him next summer.

Meanwhile, I suspect Tyus Jones is in line for something similar. There just doesn't appear to be much money for mid-level free agents. IF you did not find a deal quickly, there are few options left. The Clippers are supposedly interested in him but I doubt he will get anything close to the $14 mil he earned a season ago despite having a pretty good season (for a lousy Wiz team). At least it appears teams are interested in getting Tyus in a sign and trade, which could make it easier to get him some money versus a straight free agent signing.
 
I feel for Trent, who found a very dry free agent market this summer as teams scramble to avoid the second apron. A guy who averaged 15+ ppg on 40+% 3-point shooting over the past 4 years is only getting a vet minimum deal from the Bucks. I would have thought he would be a bargain at 3-years and $24 mil.

Hope the market is better for him next summer.
Somehow the Bucks let Malik Beasley walk for 1 year/$6M and replaced him with a much better player at half the price. 🤷‍♂️
 
I feel for Trent, who found a very dry free agent market this summer as teams scramble to avoid the second apron. A guy who averaged 15+ ppg on 40+% 3-point shooting over the past 4 years is only getting a vet minimum deal from the Bucks. I would have thought he would be a bargain at 3-years and $24 mil.

Hope the market is better for him next summer.
There's some reporting that Trent turned down the mid-level ($5.2 million/yr) to take the minimum for a year with the Bucks. Presumably he is hoping to prove that he's worth a lot more than $5.2 so that he can cash in next year - and he gets to team up with Dame again while starting for a title hopeful. On the other hand, he breaks the tradition of playing only for teams in the exact order that his father played for them.
 
On the other hand, he breaks the tradition of playing only for teams in the exact order that his father played for them.

Huh, never noticed that.

Gary Trent Sr: (MIL)-POR-TOR-DAL-MIN-(CHI)-Greece-Italy
Gary Trent Jr: (SAC)-POR-TOR-MIL

Senior was selected by Milwaukee in the 1995 NBA Draft and traded that same night to Portland. He signed a free agent deal with Chicago in October 2004 but was waived a few weeks later.

Junior was selected by Sacramento in the 2018 NBA Draft and traded that same night to Portland.
 
Somehow the Bucks let Malik Beasley walk for 1 year/$6M and replaced him with a much better player at half the price. 🤷‍♂️

I wouldn't say Trent is much better. They are almost the same exact player. Trent averaged more points last season, but that Toronto team was devoid of shooters, so they really needed him to take a lot of 3s. Beasley actually has better shooting efficiency, rebounding, and defensive box +/-, although neither of them are good defenders.
 
I wouldn't say Trent is much better. They are almost the same exact player. Trent averaged more points last season, but that Toronto team was devoid of shooters, so they really needed him to take a lot of 3s. Beasley actually has better shooting efficiency, rebounding, and defensive box +/-, although neither of them are good defenders.
Saying "much better" was probably a stretch. But I think Trent is better. Beasley started the season hot last year, but his numbers fell precipitously after the All-Star break. He has little offensive game other than hitting open threes; Trent is at least somewhat more diverse.

Defensively, neither player has a great reputation, but Trent has at times shown that he's capable. I think if he focuses on that end, he will be better than Beasley.
 
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