The Bulls landed Torrey Craig in free agency this summer, but it wasn’t their first attempt to sign the defensive-minded forward. In an appearance on the Bulls Talk podcast, Craig tells K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago that he had previous discussions with executive vice president Arturas Karnisovas.
“Actually, the last couple free agencies, me and AK have been talking. And we just couldn’t get it done,” Craig said. “We kind of knew what kind of pieces he wanted and what (free agent addition Jevon Carter and I) could bring and what kind of team we had the potential to be, especially with the guys who are already here. We want to be one of those tough, hard-nosed, defensive-minded, competitive teams all year round.”
Johnson notes that Karnisovas worked for the Nuggets when Craig got his first NBA opportunity in 2017. After playing three seasons in Australia, Craig joined Denver’s Summer League team. He was able to earn a two-way contract and then signed a standard deal the following offseason.
Craig went on to establish himself as a valuable NBA player, starting 60 games last season with the Suns. Entering free agency for the third time in four years, he was finally able to agree to terms with Chicago, signing a two-year, $5.4MM deal that includes a player option for the second season.
“That’s all I needed to get my foot in the door,” Craig said of his Summer League experience with the Nuggets. “Ever since, I’ve just been making a name for myself and trying to impact winning on every team I’ve been on. And I’ve been fortunate to be able to do that.”
Craig sees parallels between his Phoenix team and the Bulls, who have a pair of elite scorers in Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. He has made a career out of guarding that type of player and said he can offer tips to both LaVine and DeRozan about what defenders are trying to make them do.
Craig plans to fill the same role in Chicago that he did with the Suns, focusing on defense, rebounding and making life easier for the stars. He also hopes to bring a more aggressive attitude to the team.
“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.”
Craig is a nice get for the Bulls because he adds stability, but he can’t fix the lack of an actual PF nor the issues with the PG situation. They’re still at least one move away from being a competent low-seed Playoff team.
The Bulls do need some help at PG, I’ll agree with that but Pat Williams is developing into a good modern PF. He’s became a terrific defender both on and off ball and can close out on screens and switches. He can also stretch the floor with a great touch from behind the arc. He’s only really lacking in rebounding but that’s why resigning Vooch was so important.
A Lot of people are critical of his offensive game but it’s hard to develop into being more than a support player when you have two established vets that are very good on offense.
I don’t have problems with his offensive game except for a lack of volume. It’s almost solely his defense and rebounding.
He gets bullied by larger guys, and that’s especially critical since Vucevic is such a poor defensive Center. Not necessarily in terms of height, but in terms of strength and mass. He’s a good wing defender, a great one even, and he can switch effectively as any wing should. But he’s not a PF on either end of the floor. He’s just been pidgeonholed into that role because the Bulls haven’t done a good job building their roster. And it really shows in his rebounding. Only 33% of his rebounds are contested, and he can’t win against multiple contests the way most PFs can. In the crowded paint or anywhere close to the basket, he’s very clearly too small. And he also struggles with containing longer rebounds because of his lack of height. It’s not for lack of effort or ability. He’s simply unsuited to the role he’s being asked to play. He could play the 4 in bursts, but I don’t see him as a full-time answer there.
Agree with you. Hard to tell what Williams is really capable of on offense when he is about the fourth option on offense. Only one basketball.
Suns signed metu instead of you. I would be pissed. Bulls trade Lonzo Ball, Zach L and C Jones with a 1st to Philadelphia for P Beverley, Harden and PJ Tucker and 2nd
Starters PG. Beverley SG. Harden SF. DeRozan PF. Craig or Tucker C. Vuch. Draft well for the future. I am not sure who the coach is?
Anyone? Best idea for the bulls
This dude sucks lol. More “edge” my buttocks.
Drummond needs more mins
Where was this energy with the suns?