The Minnesota Timberwolves secured a 116-97 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in preseason action, but one of the most memorable moments of the night came from the Minnesota broadcast booth. Alan Horton and Jim Peterson didn’t wait till the regular season to bring out the sass, especially when it came to poking fun at one of the biggest storylines of the offseason and its collateral. Tonight, the star of the Bucks’ loss was Gary Trent Jr. Just the preseason, and he’s already inviting calls for an investigation.
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In the first quarter, the veteran Bucks guard had an embarrassing sequence where he missed three consecutive three-point attempts on a single possession. That already had fans raging, as this did nothing to justify his lucrative new contract worth $64 million, which had drawn the league office’s microscope in the offseason.
When Trent finally sank a shot from beyond the arc in the second quarter, Timberwolves announcers Alan Horton and Jim Petersen couldn’t resist poking fun at his ongoing off-court drama.
The broadcast duo barely suppressed their laughter while directly referencing the NBA’s active investigation into Milwaukee’s alleged salary cap circumvention. With Trent on the floor, Horton launched into a cheeky commentary on the veteran’s status.
“Gary Trent still able to play even when his four-year contract is causing a little bit of a stir in league offices,” Horton remarked.
He made Petersen break into laughter immediately, and he quickly chimed in, “You can say that again.”
Barely able to speak through his amusement, Horton added, “Yeah. Big offseason topic: salary cap circumvention. Only the LA Clippers and their punishment coming down, but also looking into Gary Trent Jr.”
The embarrassment aside, Trent scored 11 points in 18 minutes on 3-of-9 shooting, and all were from beyond the arc. He had one rebound and assist each.
At the heart of the broadcast banter is an ongoing NBA investigation into the four-year, $64 million contract the Bucks handed Trent earlier this summer. The league, utilizing the law firm Hecker Fink, opened its probe in July to evaluate whether Milwaukee engaged in salary cap circumvention by underpaying Trent on a previous deal before making up the difference with a major financial bump.
At that time, the league was still investigating the LA Clippers’ cap circumvention regarding Kawhi Leonard. That investigation concluded when the NBA cracked down on the Clippers in early September. So while the announcers joked about it, the investigation is not just a joke.
Fun fact: Jim Peterson, in his 29th season as a Timberwolves announcer, was with the team when the infamous Joe Smith salary cap circumvention happened. When he says, “You can say that again,” it carries more than just humor.
After earning roughly $3.7 million last season, Trent’s salary leaped to an average of $16 million annually despite him producing just 8.1 points per game during the previous campaign. Coming on the heels of the NBA’s disciplinary ruling against the Clippers, the league’s focus has turned toward the Bucks and Trent’s agency, Klutch Sports Group, which is cooperating with investigators.
Despite the scrutiny and commentary around his contract, both Trent and the Bucks organization have defended the deal while maintaining focus on the upcoming season. Addressing the media on Media Day, Trent acknowledged the probe while deflecting deeper questions.
“The goal was to join here, continue to keep building, continue to keep winning, and win championships,” Trent stated. “That’s the main focus, and that’s always going to be the main goal. To do that, we’ve got to continue to build these habits, show a certain value, put a certain flow out there, and win. Winning takes care of everything.”
When asked directly about the league’s inquiry, Trent added, “Like you said, it’s an ongoing investigation, so I really don’t got no comment on it, but I hope it gets resolved soon.”
Bucks General Manager Jon Horst also stood behind the $64 million investment, emphasizing Trent’s specialized skill set on the wing.
“When you look at Gary Trent and what he’s done for us in the last two seasons, and even before us in his young career, he’s an elite shooter,” Horst explained. “I think one of five or six players to shoot and make the amount of threes he has as a reserve over the last couple years. Only 27 years old. He was big for us in playoff moments, so there’s a big belief in Gary for what we think matters, and that’s elite shooting in the NBA that’s hard to find.
“It’s something that Taylor Jenkins values, and I think he’s even going to maximize more with us, so it was a great opportunity for us to do that, and we acted on it.”
While Milwaukee awaits the formal conclusion of the NBA’s investigation, opponents and broadcasters clearly won’t let the team forget the heavy cloud hanging over their big-money guard.