Gary Trent Jr. enjoying his best NBA season yet with Raptors

Target Center was empty as the Raptors came in around 10 a.m. for their morning shootaround. It seemed like the players were just waking up as they strolled a few steps off the bus and through the tunnel out onto the court.

But that walk still meant a little something more for Apple Valley's Gary Trent Jr. Trent is in his fifth NBA season and third with the Raptors. But the memories of winning high school state championships in the building and the appreciation to play in front of friends and family hasn't faded over time.

"It feels better and better every time I come back here," Trent said. "I feel like every time I came back here, every year I've progressed my role on my team and the opportunity on my team has gotten better."

Trent has been appreciative for the time he has spent in Toronto and for the opportunity coach Nick Nurse and his staff have given him. He is averaging a career-high 18.5 points per game and has true shooting percentage of .573, a metric that accounts for three-pointers and free throws. That's the second highest mark of Trent's career behind his second season, when he had a strong showing for Portland during the portion of the NBA season that took place in a bubble amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It's just a lot of things, factors of being consistent in the NBA," Trent said. "It's your role, your opportunity, your coach's trust. Do they believe in you? Do they run plays for you? Do they put you in certain positions to succeed. Just different type of things. Coach Nurse and his team has been there for me. They've helped me. Gave me a platform and opportunity of a lifetime."

If Trent sounds a little wistful and reflective, there might be a reason for that. His name has started to emerge in trade rumblings around the league in various national reports. If the Raptors deal Trent before the Feb. 9 deadline, it would be the second time he would be on the move after Portland traded him in 2021 to Toronto.

The Raptors entered Thursday as the No. 11 seed in the Eastern Conference and could be sellers at the deadline. Trent has one more season left on a deal that pays him a little under $52 million over three years, but he has a player option for next season he can decline and enter free agency, effectively making his contract an expiring one.

He also knows players who make in his salary range are likely to get traded.

"I've been in trade rumors since I came into the league," Trent said. "With my contract and my situation, it's almost complementary to get off the books or to help a team or roster. But you can't really focus on that. It is what it is. You continue to work. Somebody's going to want you. Everybody is watching you, seeing how you work."

The Raptors are still putting him to work. In fact, there have been multiple games of late where Trent has played over 40 minutes. He doesn't mind. Compared to where his NBA career started, he welcomes the chance to never leave the floor.

"There was one point in time I was begging for an opportunity just to get on the court or I was in a suit," Trent said. "So, for me to get 40 minutes, it's a surreal feeling. May go for 40 minutes, 20 minutes another night. Whatever it's going to be. I'm thankful for the opportunity that I can go out there, showcase and play the game."