Hornets Free Agent Targets: Gary Trent Jr

Preview of UFA Gary Trent Jr and how he may fit with the Charlotte Hornets

Mar 3, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr. (33) dribbles the ball as Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller (24) defends in the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports / Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Age: 25 Height: 6’5 Position: SG Previous Annual Salary: $18.6 Million

Scouting Report

A former five-star recruit and McDonald's All-American coming out of high school, Gary Trent Jr. fell to the second round of the 2018 draft, being selected 37th overall after one season at Duke.

Gary Trent Jr. has established himself as a valuable two-way guard for the Toronto Raptors since being acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers at the 2021 trade deadline. The 2021-2022 season was his best yet, where he averaged 18.3 points per game on 38% shooting from three-point range over 35 minutes per contest.

Offensively, Trent Jr. has been described as a "microwave scorer", he can heat up quickly and score in bunches, especially from deep. He may struggle with efficiency in isolation situations, but thrives in a catch-and-shoot role. His shooting ability from deep was on display this past season shooting 39.3% from three on 6.4 attempts per game.

On the defensive end, the 25-year-old wing has good size at 6'6" and solid lateral quickness to guard positions 1-3. His aggressiveness can sometimes lead to rotational breakdowns, but he is generally a positive willing defender, not a liability.

Overall, With his youth and skill set of three-level scoring and multi-positional defense, he could have an even higher ceiling if he can iron out some inconsistencies, as he is still a young player.

How 2023/24 Went

In the 2023-2024 season, Trent Jr. had his statistically lowest scoring season with the Raptors, averaging only 13.7 points per game in 28.1 minutes over 71 games played. Although his scoring average declined, he achieved a career-high 3-point shooting percentage of 39.3% from deep on 6.4 attempts per game. The additions of RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, as well as the emergence of Scottie Barnes and the Raptors' overall lack of success, may have impacted Trent's scoring. However, the silver lining is that he shot the ball from deep better than he ever has in his career.

Fit With the Charlotte Hornets

Assuming the Hornets see Miller starting at the small forward position, they are in need of a starting-caliber shooting guard to pair with LaMelo, ideally with size and 3-point shooting ability. The additions of Tre Mann and Seth Curry fill that role to a degree; however, the combination of size, shooting, and defensive ability that Trent Jr. offers may be seen as a better fit by the Hornets, while using Mann and Curry off the bench.

At only 25 years old, Trent still has the ability to build on the impressive numbers he has put up in his NBA career and be a playmaking/3-point shooting option in the Hornets' offense. Trent would only be a realistic target if Bridges were to leave as his projected salary would likely require cap space and be over the MLE ($12.6 million). However, the Hornets may not want to pay the price it takes to land Trent Jr if they don’t see him as a significant upgrade over what they already have in Curry and Mann. 

Projected Salary - $12-18 million per year