After handing down punishments to the LA Clippers and Kawhi Leonard for their involvement in salary cap circumvention, the NBA has turned their eyes to another potential case of cap circumvention. The NBA has hired law firm Hecker Fink to investigate the Milwaukee Bucks and Gary Trent Jr. in regard to the four-year, $64 million contract the two sides signed this offseason.

The alleged circumvention in the Bucks/Trent case is that the two sides may have agreed years in advance to sign a series of contracts to build up Trent's Bird rights before the re-signing this offseason. Milwaukee had previously signed Trent to a pair of two-year contracts with a player option for the second season. After each season, Trent opted out. This summer, the veteran guard re-signed with the Bucks after accruing Early Bird rights.

This re-signing came after Trent had played for the veteran minimum and slightly above the veteran minimum the previous two years. In addition, Trent was coming off his worst statistical season in years. In addition, the Bucks gave Trent this above-market deal weeks after they had agreed to trade Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat, which kicked off a rebuild for Milwaukee.

The Clippers case involved setting up outside deals to pay Leonard outside of the salary cap. The Bucks/Trent situation is seen more like when the Minnesota Timberwolves had a prearranged agreement to pay Joe Smith a certain contract after he had accrued sufficient Bird rights.