The Bulls have officially announced the completion of their three-team trade with the Kings and Spurs that sends Zach LaVine to Sacramento and lands Zach Collins, Tre Jones, and Kevin Huerter in Chicago.
In order to accommodate the one-for-three deal, Chicago has officially waived veteran wing Torrey Craig and fourth-year swingman Chris Duarte. Both players will become unrestricted free agents on Wednesday if they’re not claimed on waivers.
Craig, 34, exercised a $2.85MM player option last June in order to remain in Chicago for a second season after averaging 5.7 points and 4.1 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per game across 53 outings (14 starts) in 2023/24.
However, Craig was limited to just nine appearances this season — he has battled injuries and wasn’t a significant part of the rotation even when healthy. He appeared to be nearing a return from a right ankle sprain that had sidelined him since December 30, so he may draw some interest on the open market.
As for Duarte, the former 13th overall pick was sent from Sacramento to Chicago as a salary-matching piece in the DeMar DeRozan sign-and-trade in July.
A former standout at Oregon, Duarte got off to a solid start in the NBA when he averaged 13.1 points per game with a .369 3PT% as a rookie in Indiana in 2021/22, but his playing time and his production has declined every year since then. He played just 74 total minutes across 17 appearances as a Bull.
Within their press release announcing the trade and the Craig and Duarte cuts, the Bulls included a statement thanking LaVine for his time with the organization.
“Zach has been a cornerstone for this organization and the city,” executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said. “He truly embraced what it means to be a Bull. His work ethic and passion for the game have been inspiring. During his time here, he not only grew as a player but also started a family, and we watched him develop into the person he is today.
“We also sincerely thank Chris and Torrey for their professionalism and contributions. Our organization is extremely appreciative of everything each of these guys have given to the team.”
The Bulls continue to explore their options on the trade market, including potentially flipping Jones and/or Huerter, reports K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter links).
Johnson adds that there’s some optimism within the organization about the possibility of acquiring draft capital in a Lonzo Ball deal. He also notes that the Bulls engaged with the Bucks about a possible LaVine trade before shifting their focus to the deal with the Kings and Spurs.
The full story on that three-team trade can be found here.
Duarte can’t catch a break.
Yeah, what’s the deal with that? Guess he’s just the odd man out every time.
From what I seen and heard, he was just chucking up shots just to get his next deal. He wasn’t playing within the offense or helping the team on defense. Looked like a complete misfit from the moment they got him.
Speaks volume on how bad Chris Duarte is as a basketball player, when he can’t even find a role in this Bulls team. I remember Stacey King being so excited for the Duarte addition last fall. Guy talks so much nonsense like is the unofficial mascot for the team.
Hope Craig goes to a team that needs a playoff savvy player who can hit the open 3.
Torrey Craig every time I’ve watched the Bulls has been solid. Good 3 and D wing, probably good for the locker room and would help most teams be a better side
Yeah shocked he couldn’t have been moved for a second. Really solid 9-10th man on a contender.
Guess they don’t want to give up a second to get rid of him. It’s only a small salary to eat.
No team is giving a 2nd round pick for Torrey Craig. Not a single one.
Well maybe Chicago would
Tht lives …. For now
Duarte is just a 3rd string SG. He was drafted at 24, so he was always pretty close to his ceiling.
Teams who could use him: BOS, LAL, ORL are the only playoff teams that could really use him.
Lonnie Walker IV is coming back soon though, he’s a higher end option.
13th
Duarte was expendable the moment he was acquired. I remember some people thinking he’d be a rotational piece.