Tag: Torrey Craig

Torrey Craig vows to raise Bulls’ toughness: ‘A little bit more edge’

Torrey Craig recently spoke about how he plans to raise the toughness level of the Chicago Bulls: “A little bit more edge.”

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Heading into the summer, the Chicago Bulls set their sights on improvement. Instead of dialing back and heading toward a rebuild, the Bulls decided to sign extra pieces and push for the postseason. In turn, they signed Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig in free agency to improve their squad’s depth.

Both players are great 3-point shooters, which is something the Bulls desperately needed, as they were one of the worst shooting teams in the NBA last year. On top of that, both players will help Chicago on the defensive end as well, raising their already-solid level of play on that side of the ball.

During a recent chat with KC Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, Craig vowed to raise the toughness level of the Bulls.

“I was telling Coach (Billy Donovan) one day, just watching the games and seeing how much talent they had and some of the games they would lose and seeing how I could contribute and bring a little bit more toughness, a little bit more edge, a little bit more competitiveness to some of those games to be more consistent,” Craig said. “That definitely played a factor in my decision to come here.”

He also spoke very highly of the Bulls’ playoff chances.

“Winning and playing at a high level it definitely translates. I’m going to ride that confidence here,” Craig said. “Everybody knows two of the most talented scorers on the team with LaVine and DeRozan. Once those guys get it going, it’s pretty much a wrap. As a defender, I can give those guys tips and advice on what teams want to do and how they want to guard them and the insight I had playing against those guys to give them any edge they need.”

What do you expect from Craig in a Bulls uniform?

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Torrey Craig predicted to start over Patrick Williams for Bulls

Will Torrey Craig start at the power forward position for the Chicago Bulls over Patrick Williams?

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After two years of little playoff success, the Chicago Bulls made changes to the roster this summer. They didn’t make any major moves, but they brought in Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig in free agency, both of whom are projected to play big-time minutes for the Bulls this season.

Carter is expected to step into the starting point guard spot, while Craig could take on any number of roles. However, according to Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, Craig could end up starting for the Bulls over Patrick Williams. He believes the veteran will earn the spot and play more minutes than Williams.

Buckley pointed toward Craig’s defense and 3-point shooting as reasons he will end up starting over Williams.

“First, the 32-year-old is among the more reliable defenders in this league,” Buckley wrote. “He is versatile and tireless at that end, traits that could uber-valuable in the starting five alongside Chicago’s offense-first stars.

“Second, he ramped up his outside shooting this past season and wound up with career highs in makes (1.3 per game) and accuracy (39.5). If he’s comfortable spotting up in the corners, he’ll be easy to keep on the floor with the Bulls’ more ball-dominant options.

“As for Williams, he might benefit from playing a prominent role with the second team instead of a supporting one with the starters. He is still in the developmental stage of his career — he hasn’t even turned 22 yet — so he needs all the touches he can get.

“However, that lack of experience could have him taking a backseat in big moments to Craig, who has a chance to edge out Williams in average minutes.”

Who do you think should start for the Bulls at the power forward position next year?

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Who should start for Bulls: Patrick Williams or Torrey Craig?

Who should the Chicago Bulls place in the starting lineup: Patrick Williams or Torrey Craig?

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The Chicago Bulls made numerous solid moves this summer in an attempt to improve the roster around their stars. They re-signed Nikola Vucevic and Coby White, and, in free agency, they brought in veterans Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig. As result, the overall ceiling of the team improved.

However, with all of the additions come crucial questions: Who starts and who comes off the bench? There has already been an indication that Carter could start over White at the point guard, but what about the power forward position? Is there a chance Craig earns the starting job over Patrick Williams?

Elias Schuster of Bleacher Nation recently pondered this question.

“As for the power forward slot, the Bulls are in desperate need of more physicality and rebounding,” Schuster wrote. “Craig snagged a career-high 5.4 rebounds per game last season, including 2.7 OREBs per 36 minutes. Williams has continued to struggle when it comes to consistently cleaning the glass, which is something I’m sure the coaching staff will keep in mind. Where Williams should have the edge on Craig, however, is in the physicality department. While Craig is a switchable and talented defender, there is little question that Williams’ frame and sheer athleticism can be a real asset. I’d also say that there is comfortably more offensive upside with Williams. But this could actually end up as a reason to put him in the second unit, as he’ll be able to tap into this side of his game more without Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic on the floor.”

Ultimately, though, he landed on Williams.

“When we consider how important Williams remains to the Bulls’ long-term future, I’d probably prefer to see him eating up starting minutes,” Schuster wrote. “But I also can’t deny that Craig is a great fit next to the team’s “Big 3” on paper. We’ll just have to wait and see where Donovan’s head is at. If one thing is for sure, this is a decent problem to have.”

Who should start?

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Bulls officially land Torrey Craig on steal of a contract

The Chicago Bulls signed Torrey Craig for a steal of a contract.

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When free agency opened, the Chicago Bulls made sure to stay active. They re-signed Coby White and brought in Jevon Carter to be their starting point guard.

Before the market even opened, they inked Nikola Vucevic to a three-year extension that will see him stay in Chicago for the immediate future.

However, a couple of days into free agency, they made another smart move. Chicago signed Torrey Craig, a veteran forward. The 32-year-old forward is a solid defender and an above-average 3-point shooter. When the news broke, many assumed he would earn a decent chunk of change from the Bulls, but according to Keith Smith of Spotrac, Craig’s deal is for the veteran minimum. It’s a two-year deal with a player option in the second year.

Elias Schuster of Bleacher Nation sees this as an absolute steal.

“Am I wrong for thinking that feels like a freakin’ steal?” Schuster wrote “Craig is fresh off hitting career-highs in games played (79), 3-point percentage (39.5), and rebounds per game (5.4). The veteran wing is a plus defender and has 75 games of playoff experience under his belt since the 2018-19 season. Sure, Craig may be nothing more than a role player, but he’s proven to be an extremely useful one who can help take some of the toughest assignments on defense and fill in where he’s needed on offense.”

This past season, Craig averaged 7.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 45.6% from the floor and 39.5% from behind the 3-point line.

Landing him for the minimum is phenomenal value.

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Chicago Bulls free agency signings listed among ‘most underrated’

The Chicago Bulls’ free agency signings were listed among the most underrated moves of the summer.

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The Chicago Bulls entered the summer with the goal of pushing for the postseason next year. At the end of this past season, Arturas Karnisovas explained the team had no intention of rebuilding, and the moves they’ve made so far this offseason have backed up that plan.

Chicago re-signed Nikola Vucevic and Coby White to three-year contracts, but it also stayed active in free agency. The Bulls brought in point guard Jevon Carter on a three-year contract and veteran forward Torrey Craig on a two-year deal. Both are set to play huge roles in Chicago’s rotation next season.

According to Chris Herring of Sports Illustrated, the Bulls’ two free agency signings were among the most underrated moves of the summer.

“After keeping largely the same roster last offseason and then standing pat at the trade deadline despite lingering around play-in range all season, Chicago hasn’t done anything flashy this offseason, either,” Herring wrote. “Some fans were disappointed that they brought in Nikola Vucevic on a three-year deal when there hasn’t been much lately to suggest that he, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan are an on-court fit.

“Still, you can’t knock the Bulls for landing Carter and Craig, a solid pair of ex-teammates who reached the NBA Finals together in Phoenix back in ’21. Carter’s steadying presence on both ends is meant to at least partially replace the absence of Lonzo Ball, who will miss another entire season because of issues with his left knee, which has undergone three surgeries now. Craig, on the other hand, gives Chicago a big body — bigger than the likes of thin, yet talented forward Derrick Jones Jr., who figures to leave the club—on the wing capable of hanging in against bigger ballhandlers like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Luka Doncic. He also shot nearly 40% from deep last season in the Suns’ offense.”

The Bulls made two very smart moves in free agency, and their team is much improved because of them.

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New Bulls PF Torrey Craig leaks hilarious exchange with Andre Drummond

The Chicago Bulls’ newest member, Torrey Craig, leaked a hilarious text exchange with Andre Drummond.

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The Chicago Bulls have been extremely active so far this offseason, making a number of moves to push their roster forward. They brought back Nikola Vucevic and Coby White on new deals, and they signed Jevon Carter, improving the depth at their point guard position.

Most recently, they inked veteran free agent Torrey Craig to a two-year deal, giving them much-needed forward depth and improved 3-point shooting. The only problem is, Craig wears No. 3, but that number isn’t available on the Bulls. It belongs to big man Andre Drummond, who picked up his player option and will return to the Bulls next year.

So, when Craig signed with Chicago, he messaged Drummond in an attempt to buy the number off him, but the conversation didn’t go down the way he would have hoped. Craig posted the entire interaction to his Instagram Story, and Josh Buckhalter of Heavy Sports posted the image to Twitter.

Craig offered Drummond $500 for No. 3, to which Drummond replied with a quick “no chance.” However, he did note that he would concede on the notion if Craig could convince White to give him No. 0, which Drummond wore on the Detroit Pistons and Brooklyn Nets.

Then, Craig suggested that Drummond switch to No. 00, but he said that would be like him telling Craig to switch to No. 33. Craig quickly pointed out is retired (for Scottie Pippen).

It seems as though Craig’s tenure is already off to a hilariously roaring start.

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Report: Chicago Bulls sign Torrey Craig to 2-year contract

The Chicago Bulls have signed free agent Torrey Craig to a two-year contract, according to reports.

The Chicago Bulls have signed veteran forward Torrey Craig to a two-year contract, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Craig was a crucial part of the Phoenix Suns’ success this past season, giving them solid minutes in the regular season and coming up big when it mattered in their two playoff series.

Over the past few years, Craig has emerged as one of the most reliable 3-and-D forwards in the league. This past season, he appeared in 79 games for Phoenix, starting 60 of them and playing a career-high average of 24.7 minutes per contest. He averaged 7.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 45.6% from the field and 39.5% from beyond the arc on 3.2 3-point attempts per game.

Chicago entered the offseason with a huge need for 3-point shooting, and so far, it has addressed that by adding two (roughly) 40% shooters from behind the arc: Craig and point guard Jevon Carter.

Craig will join Chicago as one of its top options at the power forward position and a perfect mentor for youngster Patrick Williams, who will likely be the Bulls’ starter.

With Craig on the bench, Chicago will have a dependable option who can play 20-30 minutes for them, boosting its play on both ends of the court.

At the end of this past season, Arturas Karnisovas said the Bulls had no intention of rebuilding. So, heading into the summer, they needed to add depth around their stars. So far, they have done a great job at getting high-level rotation pieces, with Craig the latest.

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Trio of low-cost sharpshooting Boston Celtics free agency targets floated by Bleacher Report

After the style of play we saw them adopt under then-new head coach Joe Mazzulla, a case can certainly be made that it wouldn’t hurt.

Do the Boston Celtics need more shooting? After the style of play we saw them adopt under then-new head coach Joe Mazzulla, a case can certainly be made that it wouldn’t hurt the ball club in their quest for Banner 18. And such an argument was made by Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz, who sees a trio of prospective options for the Celtics in free agency via the taxpayer midlevel exception or veteran minimum.

Citing the fact that Boston lost only two games last season when they shot over 40% from beyond the arc, Swartz makes a compelling argument for focusing on sharpshooting free agents this offseason. Such players are always in demand, so there will be stiff competition for players who can knock down a trey — and other aspects of their game may have warts given the price point the Celtics have to work with.

Let’s see who Swartz has in mind for Boston.

Torrey Craig viewed as a player Sixers should target in free agency

Torrey Craig is viewed as a player the Philadelphia 76ers should target in free agency.

The NBA trade deadline is over. Teams have made their moves in the trade market and now is the time to shift focus to free agency in terms of making additions to rosters around the league.

The Philadelphia 76ers made a move on deadline day when they moved Matisse Thybulle to the Portland Trail Blazers in a four-team deal that netted them Jalen McDaniels from the Charlotte Hornets. While the deal allowed the Sixers to bring in a very solid piece in McDaniels, they also moved below the luxury tax line, which frees up money to sign players.

Looking ahead to the summer, Bleacher Report put together a free agent target for each team, and for the Sixers, they assigned Torrey Craig:

Torrey Craig is particularly interesting in the aftermath of the failed Danuel House signing and given P.J. Tucker’s aging curve. He is drilling almost 40 percent of his threes and isn’t afraid to take them, and he appreciably improves Philly’s unspectacular presence on the offensive glass — all while providing assignment flexibility at the defensive end.

Craig is averaging 7.8 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 40.3% from deep on the season. He can be another 3-and-D option and he is the type of player Daryl Morey is known to target in order to add to his roster and continue to grow his team for a title.

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Best low-cost wing and big man trade targets for the Boston Celtics

The Celtics may add a wing to help take pressure off of their stars, as well as look at a big man who might be able to ease the minute load on the ball club’s frontcourt.

The Boston Celtics will likely make a move or two ahead of the 2023 NBA trade deadline to add a wing to help take some pressure off of their two stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, as well as taking a look at a big man who might be able to ease the minutes load on the ball club’s frontcourt.

With Brown and Tatum among the highest minutes-per-night players in the league and bigs Al Horford and Robert Williams III likely also playing more than they ought to be in order to be fresh and at their respective peaks for the 2023 NBA Playoffs, both bigs and wings are likely priorities. And with a hefty tax bill already on the table, cheaper solutions in terms of salary and asset cost that would raise the team’s payroll little or not at all will probably be the preferred route.

With that in mind, we put together a comprehensive list of such options the Celtics might target that wouldn’t need more than a first-round pick (and some much less) plus younger prospects in a reasonable deal.