Sources: Gary Trent Jr. To Return To Toronto as Restricted Free Agent

When the Toronto Raptors traded proven veteran scorer Norm Powell to the Portland Trail Blazers at the trade deadline, it was with the intention of adding another young piece to their growing core. That plan appears to be one step closer to fruition, as sources say Trent Jr. will be returning to Toronto as a restricted free agent.

Leagues sources widely expect Gary Trent Jr. to return to Toronto, @johnhollinger writes.

For the Raptors, landing the No. 4 pick may make it easier to move on from 35-year-old free-agent Kyle Lowry.

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Trent had some memorable games for Toronto, immediately proving his worth:

Then-career high 31 points in his 4th game with the team
A plus-54 in his 5th game with the Raptors, 2nd-highest plus-minus in the NBA in 20 years
A buzzer-beating game-winning 3-pointer in his 6th game
A new career-high (and 8th best in Raptors history) 44 points in his next game

Trent Jr. could end up slotting into the exact same role that Powell held with the team, as a 6th-man scoring machine off the bench, or as an admirable fill-in as a starter when needed.

The only sticking point is how much will the Raptors have to pony up. Trent turned down the chance at a multi-year extension before the season that would have paid him an average of between $13-14 million a year, and he's expected to ask for somewhere well north of $15 million on his new deal, possibly even closer to $20 million a season, so it remains to be seen how that all pans out.