Former Trail Blazers guard Gary Trent Jr. to join Damian Lillard in Milwaukee

The Milwaukee Bucks have reportedly signed guard Gary Trent Jr. to a one-year contract, reuniting him with former Trail Blazers teammate Damian Lillard.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the news.

The pair played together in Portland before Trent was traded to Toronto in 2021 for Norman Powell.

Trent, 25, selected by Portland in the second round of the 2018 NBA draft, averaged 10.2 points per game in three seasons with the Blazers.

His breakthrough moment came at the bubble in the summer of 2020 when he had several huge nights that helped the Blazers reach the playoffs.

The following season, Trent was deemed expendable with free agency on the horizon and the Blazers’ belief that Anfernee Simons should receive more playing time moving forward behind Lillard and CJ McCollum.

In Toronto, Trent averaged 16.4 points per game in four seasons, shooting 42.2% from the field and 38% from three-point range.

The Bucks, led by Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo, lost to the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs.

Antetokounmpo missed the entire six-game series with a calf strain, while injuries also slowed down Lillard.

The addition of Trent gives the Bucks additional outside shooting and someone familiar with playing with Lillard.

-- Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook)