Gary Trent Jr. expected to decline player option and depart Milwaukee, reshaping Bucks’ wing plans

The Milwaukee Bucks’ plans for next season could begin with a major change at the wing. Gary Trent Jr. is expected to decline his player option and leave the team, according to reporting by Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports on June 26. The move would put Milwaukee in the market to replace a perimeter shot-maker at a position where spacing can determine how the rest of the roster functions.

Trent arrived in Milwaukee with the profile of a knockdown shooter, and his first year in the Cream City reportedly stood out more than his second. Haynes’ report describes a noticeable drop-off in production during the sophomore season, following a strong start that helped establish Trent’s value as a quick-trigger option from the outside. The same report points to the contrast between the two seasons, framing Milwaukee’s window with him as a two-year experiment that did not fully repeat from start to finish.

Milwaukee’s decision-making at the wing also carries postseason context, where Trent’s shooting ceiling was most visible. Haynes’ account notes that Trent capped his better first year with a standout performance against the Indiana Pacers, hitting 37 points in Game 3 and 33 points in Game 5. Those numbers are a reminder of what Milwaukee was seeking from Trent, particularly in playoff moments when defenses tighten and half-court efficiency matters.

The specific financial mechanism is straightforward. The player option Trent is expected to decline is valued at $3.9 million, and opting out would change how the Bucks manage their payroll flexibility this offseason. Without Trent under contract, Milwaukee would likely need to address both role needs and spacing needs, since a team cannot simply swap minutes without considering how the offense reorganizes around the absence of a proven perimeter threat.

If Trent’s departure becomes official, the Bucks’ offseason priorities could shift toward reloading the rotation with a similar skill set or rebalancing the lineup so that shooters occupy the right spots on the floor. For Trent, the reported expectation is that he will test the market as a player seeking a better fit for his strengths, while for Milwaukee it becomes a roster-building question: replace production directly, or adjust the offensive system to cover the gap elsewhere.

The Bucks will have to weigh what they can carry forward from their current construction, including how much perimeter shooting they want the offense to depend on and how they plan to structure lineups in the regular season and the playoffs. Trent’s two-season tenure ends, at least in expectation, with Milwaukee facing the challenge of turning a known postseason upside into a new plan for the next postseason stretch.

For now, the key is confirmation. Because this reporting describes an expectation rather than a finalized transaction, Milwaukee fans and league observers will want to watch for any formal public moves: whether Trent makes a clear decision on the option, and whether the Bucks respond quickly with additions at the wing. The outcome will help determine how the Bucks look in the next round of roster moves and whether their outside shooting identity remains intact.