The Nuggets have withdrawn their $2.5MM qualifying offer for swingman Torrey Craig, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). As a result of the move, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent.
Craig, who will turn 30 next month, averaged 5.4 PPG and 3.3 RPG in 58 games (27 starts) for Denver in 2019/20, providing the team with solid perimeter defense. However, he became a victim of a roster crunch in Denver.
According to Wojnarowski, the Nuggets valued Craig, but are simply running out of roster spots with which to comfortably bring him back on a guaranteed deal.
Even having lost Mason Plumlee and Jerami Grant, Denver added Zeke Nnaji and RJ Hampton in this week’s draft, is retaining Paul Millsap on a new deal, and is bringing in JaMychal Green and Facundo Campazzo in free agency. The club also reportedly plans on promoting two-way player Bol Bol to its standard roster.
The Nuggets are also emerging as the frontrunners to sign forward Greg Whittington to their roster, as our JD Shaw reports (via Twitter).
Is he good?
See greg1’s response
He would probably look at that anyway since it was next. But it’s the thought that counts.
Good defender, high energy. 8 – 10 guy in your rotation type.
If he could hit the three just a bit better he would be very good.
Capable wing defender, can hit some 3s. I can see someone giving him a 2 year, vet minimum deal to be the 9th or 10th guy in the rotation
Let’s go Lakers! We need some defense for the second unit. He’s only going to get the min.
Should have kept him for a trade but it probably won’t matter in the end.
T-wolves? They need a strong defender.
I’ve got to give a little credit to the Nuggets for cutting Craig loose. It might look like they dogged on him, but I think they did him a favor. Now he can negotiate without the worry by his suitors that the team will match their offer. Torrey steps up in crunch time and has earned a chance for a raise. He will get another job.
He deserves to get a decent deal, one that the Nuggets probably wouldn’t be able to offer him. If he doesn’t get a deal someplace my bet is that the Nuggets would welcome him back on the cheap. They like Torrey a lot and know he deserves more than they can offer him. this gives Torrey the best chance to do just that. Good luck to you TC!