Bucks reportedly being investigated by NBA for possible salary-cap circumvention in deal with Gary Trent Jr.

The Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly under investigation by the NBA for potentially circumventing the salary cap in the deal they agreed to with Gary Trent Jr. in July. This comes after red flags were raised about the signing, though the specifics of the league's inquiry have been limited. According to The Athletic, the NBA decided to launch a full-scale investigation after finding enough evidence to warrant further scrutiny.

The investigation is focused on whether the Bucks utilized the contract as a means to skirt around the NBA's salary cap. The league has reportedly hired law firm Hecker Fink to conduct this investigation.

This particular allegation echoes a similar probe conducted on the Los Angeles Clippers and Kawhi Leonard, where the NBA accused the team of using a team sponsor to funnel additional funds to Leonard to circumvent the salary cap rules. However, the methods in the Bucks' case appear more straightforward. The league is investigating whether the Bucks made handshake agreements with Trent in the past two offseasons, promising him a larger contract that he ultimately received this offseason.

This discrepancy in pay came after Trent had a down year, averaging just 8.1 points per game, his lowest scoring output since his rookie season.

Despite the ongoing investigation, the NBA, Bucks, and Trent's agency - Klutch Sports - have all declined to comment. Both the Bucks and Klutch are reportedly cooperating with the NBA's investigation. Should the NBA find that the Bucks intentionally engaged in salary-cap circumvention, the team may face penalties similar to those imposed on the Clippers. The NBA docked the team five future first-round picks, fined team owner Steve Ballmer and suspended Leonard.