Two veteran free agents are reportedly facing varying levels of interest on the open market.
According to Michael A. Scotto of HoopsHype, the New York Knicks “are among the teams who’ve expressed interest in signing” veteran big man Davis Bertans, who split this past season between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Charlotte Hornets.
Meanwhile, Josh Lewenberg of TSN reported that the Toronto Raptors “are prepared to move on from” veteran swingman Gary Trent Jr. this offseason. While Trent has been linked to the Los Angeles Lakers, Lewenberg noted “it’s possible he could only earn half of” the $12.5 million mid-level exception if he were to join the team.
Lewenberg added that “the door hasn’t been closed completely” for Trent to return to the Raptors, as the team is reportedly expected to meet with his representatives in Las Vegas this week. However, there’s a gap between the sides regarding the 25-year-old’s expected salary.
According to Lewenberg, the Raptors “were willing to bring the sharpshooter back at an annual salary of around $15 million when the negotiation window opened last month, but Trent’s camp was looking for a raise on the $18.5 million he made last season.” Trent’s side was seeking “something in the $25 million range,” but a thin market makes that highly unlikely and a league insider told Lewenberg he would be “lucky” to receive the mid-level exception.
Trent appeared in 71 games with 41 starts for the Raptors last season and averaged 13.7 points while shooting 39.3 percent from three-point range. While he leaves much to be desired on defense, he would provide the Lakers with the spacing they need for stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis to be successful.
After seeing a minimal role in Oklahoma City, Bertans appeared in 28 games with Charlotte and averaged 8.8 points in 20.8 minutes of action.
The Knicks are seeking frontcourt depth after losing free-agent big man Isaiah Hartenstein to the Thunder, and Bertains would add a different dimension thanks to his ability to stretch the floor, as he is a career 39.6 percent shooter from beyond the arc.
