NBA: Grading the notable moves from the first day of free agency

Raptors bring back Trent for 3 years/$54M

Grade: A

I wasn’t sure how the Toronto Raptors would swing the Gary Trent Jr. contract.

After trading him for Norman Powell at the deadline, Trent proved himself as a fixture of the young Raptors core. However, concerns arose when he may have priced himself out of Toronto with his performance.

In the end, Trent was able to secure a player option after the second year, if he is able to outperform his contract or wants to go elsewhere. The Raptors were able to reach a shorter deal that affords them flexibility later on but pays Trent now. $18 million a year for Trent is pretty good value and is small enough of a contract to be traded if the team decides to go in a different direction.

Excellent move for both sides.