Player Name: Gary Trent Jr.
Team: Toronto Raptors
Years Pro: 3
Draft: 2018, Second Round #37
Number of Top Shot Moments: 2
Fun Fact: Gary Trent Jr’s father, Gary Trent Sr, played in the NBA. He also has three brothers, whose names all start with “G.” Their names are Grayson, Garyson, and Graydon.
This is #5 in a series where I will highlight some of the best young players in the NBA to add to your Top Shot collection who you might not have heard much about. No, I’m not talking about your Lebrons, your Lukas, or your Currys, I’m talking about emerging stars whose popularity should only continue to rise in the years to come.
Gary Trent Jr. is a SG/SF who was traded from the Portland Trailblazers to the Raptors at the 2021 trade deadline. He averaged 15 points on 38.5% on threes in his third year, making huge strides from his sophomore year.
Trent is an upcoming shooter who had some very impressive performances this season. In a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he had 44 points on 7-9 shooting from behind the arc. Trent also had a 31-point game on 6 threes against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Trent has plenty of games where he really shows off how good of a shooter he could become.
Even though Trent is certainly a good shooter, he can also take his defender off the dribble a little bit. He’s nothing special in that aspect, but his driving ability is still something that can be further developed. If he could improve his passing vision and ability to drive, he could be a force to be reckoned with on the offensive end.
My favorite moment of Trent is his game winning off the dribble three vs. the Washington Wizards. It’s an incredible shot where he dribbles all the way down the court to drain a three in a Washington defender’s face.
The play I would most like to see of Trent’s in NBA TopShot (#NBATopShotThis) is a step back three to start the game vs. the Atlanta Hawks. It was a ridiculous step back into an even crazier shot. The stepback not only gave him enough space to shoot it, but then he still drained the shot over the defender, Kevin Huerter.
