MARCH 18: The Bucks have officially sent Craig to Phoenix in exchange for cash considerations, according to the club (Twitter link).
MARCH 17: The Bucks will trade reserve small forward Torrey Craig to the Suns, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM tweets that the Suns are sending out cash considerations in the deal.
Milwaukee will not be getting a player in return from Phoenix in the agreement, Woj adds (via Twitter).
After spending his first three NBA seasons with the Nuggets, Craig signed a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract with the Bucks during the 2020 offseason.
Undrafted out of the University of South Carolina Upstate in 2014, Craig began his pro career in Australia, where he played for several NBL teams from 2014-2017. He signed a two-way deal with the Nuggets in 2017, and eventually earned his way onto Denver’s regular 15-man roster.
The defensive-oriented Craig, 30, played in just 18 games with the Bucks, averaging 11.2 MPG as an occasional perimeter defender off the bench. He did improve his three-point shooting this season, connecting on 36.4% of his 1.2 long-range attempts per night. He could help spell starting Suns wings Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges in a limited role.
Phoenix’s 26-12 record currently makes the team the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, and if Craig can have a good showing as a reserve for a potential powerhouse, he could attract some interest when he returns to free agency this summer.
The Bucks have been active today with trades, having also agreed to send backup point guard D.J. Augustin and reserve power forward D.J. Wilson to the Rockets in exchange for forwards P.J. Tucker and Rodions Kurucs. That move also involves a series of draft picks and swaps.
Thanks to these two deals, the small-market Bucks are now $3.5MM below the hard salary cap, as Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter). Milwaukee also now has two open roster spots, which could serve the team well in future trades or in the buyout market this season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Yes Bucks …… PJ is solid pick for playoff run. I’m sure he’s hyped to be on top East team. He can help guarding KD. Good move for Bucks.
DJ is a nice pickup also. A solid backup considering PJ was leaving. I know Clippers would love to get their hands on DJ.
Buyout market now for Bucks. Wise moves
can he actually guard KD? i mean KD is 7 feet tall while PJ like 6’5
Have you watched him play. No one can stop KD. To be Nets you have to have players who can guard different positions. Yes he can help guard KD. It’s team D in playoffs. He’s excellent at that. Just ask Harden.
Bucks all set up for the buyout market. Can they talk one of the big men to come to Milwaukee instead of L.A. or Boston or Miami?
In other words, not a good trade involving Tucker. Houston did well though getting a mature Augustin for their wayward kids.
I wonder what the Bucks are planning for a backup PG?
They made moves I really like today – I cheered the Craig signing at first – and it did not pan out.
If they *trade* for PJ Tucker, they must be hoping a playable guy gets on to the buyout market – but I don’t even know what that potential list looks like.
In the playoffs it may not matter, Giannis can probably be the de facto backup PG when they trim to an 8 man rotation
Augustin probably wouldn’t have been playable in the playoffs anyway so they were probably going to go that route regardless
So bucks give up a Augustine and a first for Tucker and also release Torrey Craig, a decent reserve/role player.
Bucks going all in for the playoffs but I don’t think these are good moves it’s just moves. They desperately chasing the Sixers and Nets.
Funny as I say this the Bucks have only scored 31 points at half time against the Sixers. Bucks have Holiday Middleton and Giannis and Sixers are without Embiid and Maxey and we still getting it done
Ben Simmons is making all his haters look stupid rn.
Bud looks as stupid as he ever has.
I’ll also add that both DJs and Craig are valueless. They’ve given up their “trash players” – and that late 20’s first round pick?
Agree – I really doubt Tucker is the answer. But WallyWood (and Fertitta) has turned me into a Rockets hater for so long now..
Everybody hates a winner. Of course they aren’t winning now, but they’re building for the future. Lots of young talent in Houston.
Agree they gave up as close to nothing as possible for Tucker, who may be washed up. But I would much rather have Tucker who MAY be able to be a legit playoff role player than three guys who I know aren’t
and the #37 for #25 pick swap is also next to nothing
While I agree that Milwaukee did pretty well in this deal, I’d push back on going from 25 to 37 being “next to nothing.” A team making that deal on draft night would probably have to give up two extra future second-rounders to move up 12 spots in that area of the draft.
The Rockets’ margin for error is slim though. If Houston ends up at 32 and Milwaukee ends up at 28, that swap is a lot less impressive!
Facts – next to nothing is on the hyperbolic side no doubt
But yeah when you start dabbling in late first and second round swaps you’re definitely in random walk territory
Funny as I read this the game is now tied. Simmons has 6 points with a cuppa minutes left in the 4th. Time is fluid apparently.
I mean…I took Philly +6.5 so not sure how much of a revelation that is
The revalation is that Simmons-Russ talked smack way too early.
GG
And I still won lol
Yeah, I won on that game too. I didn’t mention it because it doesn’t have anything to do with the conversation. dig?
I might’ve spoken smack to soon but the point more or less was these trades seem to be like a GM and coach desperate to try make the team better cause they are scared of us and the Nets. We didn’t have our best player and took the bucks to OT.
As for the playoffs I have the Sixers and Nets as locks to to make it out then it’s between Heat Bucks Celtics even the Pacers and Raptors could be a chance.
Bucks went from being in the top 2/3 every year in the east to making the Holiday trade and getting overtaken still. I think they don’t make the finals and there’s going to be a big trade
The point was that according to him, Philly had no business being in the game against Milwaukee, without Embiid, but we obviously picked Philly, so how surprising is it?
Just out of curiosity why would you pick a weakened Philly over a full strength Bucks team?
Matchup of who you think might play vs who might play for the other side, skillsets, rotations, size/length can be factors…
Tried to edit this in, but came up just a bit short on time lol…
In my mind, Danny Green makes it a little more difficult for Middleton, Philly’s bench should potentially outplay Milwaukee’s, depending on who plays (couple of guys I thought would play for Philly didnt, in favor of Mike Scott, Korkmaz, and more minutes for Dwight than I thought he would get in this matchup), and the rest is mostly a wash, coming down to a bit of make or miss. Maybe factor in Giannis potentially being a rough matchup for Tobias Harris, but Philly having a bit more shooting. So its relatively close, which makes Philly at +6.5 a decent bet. Previous scores are also sometimes a factor, but there are variables to that as well
• Milwaukee gets: Tucker, Rodions Kurucs, the return of their own 2022 first-round pick
• Houston gets: D.J. Augustin, D.J. Wilson, Milwaukee’s 2023 first-round pick unprotected, the right to swap picks in 2021.
Rockets basically switched a 2022 1st rd pick (#24-30) range. For a 2023 1st rd pick (#23-30) range.
And switch pick #36-42 to Bucks pick # 26-30 in 2021 draft.
So basically Rockets get to move up in draft in 2021. It’s a good deal for both teams. PJ was already gone. Augustine can help while Wall is in and out of lineup. Or they could even flip him.
So why are Sixers pissed at Giannis???? I mean I doubt he does that in a full house. It wasn’t a big deal to me. Just remember it for next time
Thursday 4-22-21.
How did that work out for you?
The Sixers couldn’t beat a Bucks team that shot a dismal percentage from three and blew a 19 point lead. Embiid or not, that’s a choke.
Idk, maybe Im too narrow minded but all I see is the Nets 76’ers Bucks Heat meeting up Rd 2 where anything can happen.
Giannis can beat any of those 3 other teams any 7 game series. Its nice to keep the edges trimmed, and thats all Mil was really capable of, but this year kinda hinges all on G’s back imo when the time comes
People are sleeping on the Heat. Ever since they have been able to play with a full roster they’ve been tough.
Im kinda under the notion we are just throwing Dice at the wall if it gets to those 4 and I’m all about it – Brk Philly Mil all really unproven thus far deep in playoffs, its anyone’s game. Rds 2 and 3 in East might be some of the best series we see all playoffs
Bucks and Heat have a puncher’s chance no doubt.
Good depth in case Bridges, Crowder, or Mader gets injured for Phoenix. Milwaukee grabbed Toupane on the 2 way deal, and he has relatively similar skillset to Craig, who didnt play much for them, so it works out for them too, giving them the extra roster space
…*sigh* *Nader
Bruh they gave up pick 27 for pick 35, it was a swap. And they got to dump DJ’s 7 mil guaranteed next year. Trader Jon pulled a Houdini, I’d take it.