Championship contender may have stole Warriors claim to best free agent signing

Big contracts to the likes of Paul George and Isaiah Hartenstein, along with the NBA's new CBA rules, has severely impacted a number of lesser free agents this offseason, allowing for the Golden State Warriors and others to find valuable acquisitions.

The Warriors moved swiftly to replace departed franchise legend Klay Thompson, signing former Philadelphia 76ers guard De'Anthony Melton to a one-year, $12.8 million contract at the start of free agency.

The Milwaukee Bucks may have trumped the Golden State Warriors claim to the best/most valuable signing in free agency

FanSided's Tyler Watts recently proposed that in Melton, the "Warriors might have made the best signing of the free agency period." There's certainly an argument to be made for that, particularly when Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes had previously predicted that the 26-year-old would get at least a $60 million deal in free agency.

However, Golden State's claim to that title may have been undone on Tuesday with the Milwaukee Bucks acquiring former Toronto Raptors shooting guard Gary Trent Jr. on a one-year deal. According to Sportsnet's Blake Murphy, it's a veterans minimum ($2.6 million) contract for the 25-year-old sharpshooter.

It's a huge value signing for the Bucks with Trent reuniting with former Portland Trail Blazers teammate Damian Lillard. To illustrate Milwaukee's good fortune, TSN's Josh Lewenberg had previously reported that Trent's camp wanted "something in the $25 million range (per season)."

Trent averaged 13.7 points on 39.3% shooting from three-point range last season, but had averaged at least 15.3 points in each of the previous three years including a career-high 18.3 with the Raptors in 2021-22. The six-year veteran has shot 38.6% from beyond the arc on 6.4 attempts per game across the course of his career.

You could still argue that Golden State would have preferred Melton anyway, regardless of the difference in salary. While Trent is the better and higher volume three-point shooter, Melton's defensive ability will bode well next to Stephen Curry in the back court. The Warriors added their own sharpshooter in the form of Buddy Hield, with the 31-year-old acquired in the same six-team trade that sent Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks.