Gary Trent Jr. appears to be taking on a mentoring role with the Toronto Raptors.
Trent Jr. helped Gradey Dick adjusting to life in the NBA.
According to TSN’s Josh LewenbergTrent Jr. says he took Dick under his wing at camp and has been showing the rookie the ropes ever since:
“He was super receptive. He asks a lot of questions”
Questions asked range from on-field stuff to tattoos:
“On the field, questions about what tattoos he should get, all sorts of things.”
Trent Jr. has seen his role with the Raptors change over the course of the season. He was initially listed as the Raptors’ sixth man.
He then became a starter for the Raptors after Toronto traded OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam.
For the season, Trent Jr. is averaging 12.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steals in 61 games with the Raptors.
Trent Jr. is having a down year in terms of points per game average, but he is shooting 40.7% from three, which is his best mark as a Raptor.
The 25-year-old has failed to find consistency this season.
He had moments like scoring 28 points in a win over the Miami Heat on January 17th and he recently scored 31 points against the Orlando Magic on March 15th.
However, he had many poor shooting nights and several single-digit scoring games.
This was considered an important season for Trent Jr. as he is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Will the Raptors bring back Trent Jr.?
The Raptors and Trent Jr. were believed to be working on an extension last summer, but nothing came to fruition.
Trent Jr. will want to land a nice contract this offseason and it will be interesting to see if the Raptors end up making a compelling offer to the guard.
The Raptors have Dick who could step up and fill Trent Jr.’s role on the team starting next season.
