The Philadelphia 76ers got the most widespread hoopla for their blockbuster trade to acquire Jaylen Brown, which made their acquisition of free agent guard Anfernee Simons go under the radar. In reality, that signing was one of the biggest steals in the open market, as Mike Gansey and the rest of the front office were able to snag him for dirt cheap to the tune of a two-year, $12.3 million contract.
Well, that steal most definitely looks like an even bigger robbery when viewed comparatively to what other free agents got. Case in point? Just take a look at the baffling contract the Bucks have just handed to Gary Trent Jr. As reported by Shams Charania, the wing got rewarded with a four-year, $64 million deal to stay in Milwaukee. Yes, you read that right –– four years and $64 million of fully guaranteed money.
Not long after the news broke, speculations began growing about the Bucks possibly having a prearranged, handshake deal with Trent, who had to settle for below-market rate deals in recent years. Really, that is the only true way to justify the decision of Milwaukee's brass to hand him such an albatross contract after a down year.
The 76ers look even more genius for signing Anfernee Simons as Bucks hand Gary Trent Jr. a bloated contract
Trent's raw numbers from last season should be plenty enough to give anyone a good idea as to how egregious his contract is. He averaged 8.1 points per outing on putrid shooting splits, draining just 38.7 percent of his shots and 36 percent of his three-point tries, which is close to his career-low mark.
In comparison, even in a much more reduced role, Simons thrived last season. The new Sixer guard registered 14.3 points per outing in just 24.9 minutes a night on 44 percent shooting from the field, which includes an impressive 38.5 percent conversion rate from beyond the arc.
The Bucks are in a state of flux after trading Giannis Antetokounmpo away, and one would be able to form an easy inference that being more prudent with money should have been their M.O. Instead, they chose to splurge on Trent, who simply does not fit this team at this juncture and was a net negative across the board last season.
Well, not that it is anything that should concern the 76ers, but Trent's mammoth deal definitely makes them look even more genius for snagging Simons for what is basically chump change. Simply put, Philly got the much, much better player for a ludicrously low amount, especially when scaled to what Trent got handed with.
Kudos to Mike Gansey and his crew for another job well done this offseason. GIven the low price they had to pay, Anfernee Simons's deal is bound to embarrass the rest of the league.
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