Torrey Craig Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nuggets Sign Torrey Craig To Two-Year Deal

July 9th, 2018 at 2:12pm CST by Luke Adams

After playing on a two-way contract with the Nuggets last season, Torrey Craig will be promoted to the 15-man roster for the 2018/19 campaign. According to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), Craig has agreed to a two-year, $4MM contract with Denver. Chris Dempsey of Nuggets.com first tweeted that the deal was done.

Craig, 27, appeared in 39 games for the Nuggets in 2017/18, averaging 4.2 PPG and 3.3 RPG in 16.1 minutes per contest. He also played 15 G League games for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, averaging an impressive 22.9 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 3.5 APG, and 2.0 BPG with a .477/.386/.787 shooting line.

With his two-way deal expiring, Craig was tendered a qualifying offer last month by the Nuggets. That one-year offer was only for another two-way contract, but any other team could have signed the 6’6″ forward to an offer sheet. Denver decided not to take any chances, locking up Craig to a two-year standard contract that should assure him of a roster spot.

Assuming his new deal is indeed worth $4MM, Craig may have been signed using a portion of the Nuggets’ mid-level exception, since that figure exceeds what he could have received using the minimum salary exception or his Non-Bird rights.

With Craig out of the mix for one of Denver’s two-way slots, Monte Morris and Thomas Welsh appear likely to open the 2018/19 season as the Nuggets’ two-way players.

Two-Way QO Decisions: Walton, Cooke, Craig, More

June 28th, 2018 at 8:02am CST by Dana Gauruder

Derrick Walton Jr. has received a qualifying offer from the Heat, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel tweets. Walton, who had been on a two-way contract with the Heat, will thus be a restricted free agent next month. The undrafted 6’1” point guard out of Michigan appeared in 16 games with Miami last season.

As is the case for all two-way players who remain eligible to sign another two-way deal, the qualifying offer Walton received from the Heat will be a two-way contract offer with a $50K guarantee.

We have several other qualifying offer decisions involving two-way players to pass along:

The Pelicans will not make Charles Cooke a qualifying offer, Michael Scotto of The Athletic tweets. Cooke, an undrafted 6’5” shooting guard out of Dayton, appeared in 13 games for the Pelicans.
The Nuggets made a qualifying offer to Torrey Craig, ensuring he’ll be a restricted free agent, Gina Mizell of the Denver Post writes. The 6’6” Craig saw quite a bit of action with Denver last season, averaging 4.2 PP and 3.3 RPG in 16.1 MPG while making 39 appearances. The 27-year-old went undrafted in 2014, then played in Australia and New Zealand before the Nuggets signed him.
The Magic will not make a qualifying offer to Jamel Artis, Sportando tweets. The 6’7” Artis, who went undrafted out of Pittsburgh in 2017, saw action in 15 games and averaged 5.1 PPG, 2.5 RPG and 1.2 APG in 18.6 MPG. Artis will be on the Cavaliers‘ Summer League squad, Dave McMenamin of ESPN tweets.
The Kings have issued a qualifying offer to two-way player JaKarr Sampson, per RealGM’s transactions log. No QO is listed for Jack Cooley, Sacramento’s other two-way player, so it’s possible Cooley will reach the market as an unrestricted free agent.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Northwest Notes: Jazz, Favors, Craig, Jenkins

June 6th, 2018 at 6:22pm CST by clarkcrum

As previously reported, IMG Academy guard Anfernee Simons is scheduled for a workout with the Jazz tomorrow. We now know the other prospects who will be joining him, thanks to an official release from the team.

In addition to Simons, the Jazz will host other potential first round selections Tulane swingman Melvin Frazier and French point guard Elie Okobo. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has Frazier coming off the board to Atlanta at No. 34 in his latest mock draft, while he fittingly has Okobo being selected by Utah with the team’s first-round selection at No. 21 overall.

In addition to Okobo, Frazier, and Simons, the Jazz will also play host to workouts from Arizona guard Rawle Alkins and two seniors from the state of Ohio – Ohio State’s Jae’Sean Tate and Davidson’s Peyton Aldridge.

There’s more out of the Northwest Division this evening:

Speaking of the Jazz, free-agent-to-be Derrick Favors may very well return to Utah, as he would reportedly prefer, but as opined by Frank Urbina of HoopsHype, three other potential landing spots include the Wizards, Bucks, and Warriors, all of whom could offer Favors their mid-level exception.
After spending the 2017/18 season on a two-way contract with the Nuggets, guard Torrey Craig is receiving interest from other NBA teams this offseason, per Sportando. Craig, 27, started five games for Denver this past season, averaging 4.2 points in 16.1 minutes per game.
Former NBA guard John Jenkins, who spent this season with the San Pablo Burgos of the Spanish Liga ACB, will attend a free-agent minicamp with the Trail Blazers, per Nicola Lupo of Sportando. Jenkins, 27, played 145 games in the NBA in five seasons from 2012 to 2017.

Northwest Notes: Exum, Nuggets, Wolves, Turner

March 28th, 2018 at 3:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Point guard Dante Exum has played in just 72 games since his rookie year, having had to deal with injuries in each of the last three seasons. He’s healthy now, and playing regular backup minutes for the Jazz, but he’s on track for restricted free agency this summer, and one general manager tells Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that it may be worth rolling the dice on Exum despite his injury history.

“I think you have to look at him as a physically gifted guy who is only 22 (he turns 23 in July) and has already gone through the huge NBA learning curve,” the GM said. “There are guys in this year’s draft who will be 22 but aren’t going to have the kind of knowledge of the league he has, and don’t have the physical gifts.”

According to Deveney, one front office executive estimated that a two-year deal in the $18-20MM range might be enough to pry Exum away from the Jazz. That would be a steep price for a fourth-year player who has yet to deliver on the promise he showed heading into the 2014 draft, but overpaying a restricted free agent is often necessary to avoid having his old team match.

“He’s a gamble,” that same executive told Deveney. “But $10MM a year is not as big a gamble as it once was. He could show something here.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest division:

With the G League’s regular season over, players on two-way contracts are no longer limited to 45 days of NBA service time. That’s good news for Nuggets two-way player Torrey Craig, who is free to travel with and play for the NBA squad, and hopes to make a strong impression down the stretch, per Gina Mizell of The Denver Post. “Just show them that I can be a consistent, impactful player on both ends of the court and just try to fit in wherever I can and play a role,” Craig said of his goals for the rest of the season.
The Nuggets had been hoping to get injured guard Gary Harris back on Friday, but he’s now doubtful for that game, and is aiming for a Sunday return, per head coach Mike Malone (Twitter link via Harrison Wind of BSNDenver.com).
In a mailbag for The Athletic, Jon Krawczynski examines Karl-Anthony Towns‘ future extension, Nemanja Bjelica‘s upcoming free agency, and more Timberwolves-related topics.
Trail Blazers swingman Evan Turner was fined $10K for making an “inappropriate gesture” during Sunday’s game against Oklahoma City, the NBA announced in a press release.

Nuggets Have Serious Interest In Darren Collison

February 1st, 2018 at 11:24am CST by Luke Adams

With this season’s trade deadline just a week away, the Nuggets are known to be in the market for a veteran point guard, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. Two sources with knowledge of the situation tell Amick that one guard on Denver’s radar is Darren Collison, who is drawing “serious interest” from the Nuggets.

Collison, 30, has served as the Pacers’ starting point guard this season and has played well, averaging 12.9 PPG and 5.3 APG in 50 games (30.2 MPG). His .497 FG% and .432 3PT% are career highs.

Indiana is currently tied for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, with a 29-23 record, so it’d be surprising if the team moves its starting point guard. Amick’s report indicates the Pacers have rebuffed the Nuggets’ trade efforts so far. Still, the team has a little depth at point guard — Cory Joseph has been solid as Collison’s backup and could slide into the starting lineup. Joe Young‘s role could be expanded if necessary, and Victor Oladipo and Lance Stephenson are capable of handling the ball too.

The Nuggets currently have Jamal Murray starting at point guard, with Will Barton spending some time at the one as well; Emmanuel Mudiay has seen his role reduced this season. According to Amick, Denver would like to be able to return Barton to his “super sixth man” role rather than relying on him for point guard duties.

Amick suggests that Kings point guard George Hill, who drew interest from the Nuggets in the offseason, might be another potential Denver target at the deadline. However, Hill’s $20MM cap hit and his guaranteed money beyond this season would be a deterrent. Collison is on a more team-friendly contract, at $10MM this season — only $2MM of his $10MM salary for 2018/19 is guaranteed.

According to Amick, the Nuggets also hope to find a way to clear a 15-man roster spot for two-way player Torrey Craig at some point.

Northwest Notes: Roberson, Aminu, J. Johnson, Craig

November 29th, 2017 at 10:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Thunder’s slow start reached a new low tonight with a loss in Orlando, leaving a team expected to be among the NBA’s best after trading for Paul George and Carmelo Anthony with an 8-12 record and a 2-9 mark on the road. Part of the problem, suggests Erik Horne of The Oklahoman, is that Andre Roberson is an awkward fit in the starting lineup.

The starters perform well in the first quarter with a net rating [point differential per 100 possessions] of 23.8, the fourth-best mark in the league. However, their third quarter rating drops to 88.5, worst among the 16 NBA lineups that have played at least 60 minutes as a unit. Roberson is a defensive specialist, but opponents don’t respect his outside shot, especially from 3-point range, where he is hitting just 27%. Horne notes that Jerami Grant and Raymond Felton have logged nearly three times as many fourth quarter minutes as Roberson.

“I don’t necessarily feel like he’s uncomfortable,” coach Billy Donovan said of Roberson. “I do feel, with him getting acclimated to a new team, I just think some of that stuff’s going to take time. I’m not making excuses for our team, just dealing with the reality.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

The Trail Blazers will welcome forward Al-Farouq Aminu back Thursday night after missing 13 games with a sprained right ankle, relays Casey Holdahl of NBA.com. Portland expected Aminu to return in two to three weeks after he suffered the injury in a November 1 game, but he wound up missing almost the entire month. “It felt good to be back out there with the guys,” Aminu said after today’s practice. “Being able to contribute is always a good thing.”
Joe Johnson is making progress with his wrist injury and will be re-evaluated in two weeks, according to a story on the Jazz website. Johnson, who has been diagnosed with tendon instability in his right wrist, had another meeting with a hand specialist Tuesday. The 17-year veteran has played just seven games this season.
After three years of playing overseas, Nuggets forward Torrey Craig got his first taste of NBA action Tuesday, writes Christopher Dempsey of NBA.com. The 26-year-old signed a two-way contract over the summer and was called up to Denver this week after averaging 25.7 points per game in the G League. “It wasn’t too many nerves,” he said. “I’ve been playing basketball for a long time. So, I’m well adjusted to the atmosphere, to the game of basketball.”

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 10/23/17

October 23rd, 2017 at 8:00pm CST by Luke Adams

NBA G League training camps open today, with the start of the 2017/18 season less than two weeks away. With camps getting underway, NBA teams have begun to assign players to their respective affiliates. However, as we detailed earlier this year, four teams are still lacking affiliates.

The Nuggets are one of those teams without an affiliate for 2017/18, which means their two-way players are headed to two different G League clubs. Denver announced today in a press release that Monte Morris will join the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets‘ affiliate, while Torrey Craig will play for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Heat‘s affiliate.

Here are today’s G League assignments:

8:00pm:

After spending the day in the G League, Isaiah Whitehead has been recalled to the Nets, the team announced this evening in a press release.

5:13pm:

The Nuggets have assigned first-round pick Tyler Lydon to the G League too, according to the team. Lydon will head to the Rockets‘ affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, along with Morris.
While the Rockets are adding a pair of Denver players to their G League squad, they’ll also send a couple players from their own NBA roster to the Vipers, announcing today (via Twitter) that Chinanu Onuaku and Troy Williams are G-League-bound.
Despite some minutes becoming available in the Nets‘ backcourt in the wake of Jeremy Lin‘s season-ending injury, second-year guard Isaiah Whitehead hasn’t cracked the rotation. Brooklyn is sending him to the Long Island Nets to get him some playing time, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
The Heat have assigned center A.J. Hammons to the G League, the club announced today in a press release. Head coach Erik Spoelstra said that Hammons is joining the Skyforce to work on his conditioning after he missed time with the flu, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Nuggets Sign Torrey Craig To Two-Way Contract

July 19th, 2017 at 3:38pm CST by ChrisCrouse

JULY 19: The Nuggets have officially signed Craig to a two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release.

JULY 16: The Nuggets and Torrey Craig have agreed to a deal to add the small forward to the team, Orazio Cauchi of Sportando reports. The deal will be a two-way contract, according to Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post (Twitter link).

Players on two-way deals will spend most of their season in the G-League since they cannot spend more than 45 days with an NBA club, as our glossary page on two-way contracts shows.

Craig, who has had an impressive Summer League for Denver’s squad, played abroad over the last several seasons. He earned the NBL Best Defensive Player Award as well as All-NBL Second Team honors while playing for the Brisbane Bullets during the 2016/17 season.