Darko Rajakovic Shares High Praise For Gary Trent Jr.

Gary Trent Jr. is an unrestricted free agent this summer.

It was a down year for the 25-year-old and he hasn’t quite taken the leap the Raptors were hoping he would take when they traded for him back in 2021, but he’s still a capable sharpshooter.

Trent Jr. has proven to be one of the league’s best three-point shooters. While his future with the Raptors is up in the air, Darko Rajakovic took the time to praise Trent Jr. during his end-of-season press conference:

“Gary Trent is the best spot up 3-point shooter in the league. Gary Trent as the season went on was really able to diversify his game as well to score much more off cuts. I though that he improved his finishing around the rim especially of 2 feet. When you look at just like numbers, production I agree obviously that his numbers dipped down, but I think that his overall game improved as this season went on.”

Rajakovic was generous when he said Trent Jr. is the best spot up three-point shooter. He actually ranked ranked 11th in the league among players with at least 300 spot-up possessions and generated 1.14 points per possession, per Synergy.

Ironically, it’s former Raptor Norman Powell, the player Toronto gave up for Trent Jr., who led the league in that category.

Rajakovic was pleased with what he saw from Trent Jr. this season and credited him for his leadership:

“Gary is a player that’s extremely hard worker, he shows up every single night, every single practice, he was a very important voice for us as well…his leadership and voice went a long way. Working out  together with Gradey. So I think that he made a lot of strides that not necessarily are showing up on a box score. You could see Gary as well this year that he was passing the ball more than he did in the past. I think there were very positive stuff in his game this year.”

Unrestricted free agency

The Raptors have a decision to make when it comes to Trent Jr. They could bring him back or turn to Gradey Dick to fill his role. Ultimately, it will come down to what the guard is looking for contract wise. A team in need of shooting could make Trent Jr. a compelling offer. He is free to sign with any team this summer.

The Raptors don’t want to lose Trent Jr. for nothing, but they also don’t want to overspend on him either.