Milwaukee Bucks: Grades for Torrey Craig’s one-year minimum deal
By Dalton Sell
The Milwaukee Bucks get some much-needed depth on the wing with the signing of Torrey Craig, but how does the deal grade out?
Wing depth was one of the most apparent areas that the Milwaukee Bucks needed to address this offseason, and they have done a solid job filling out the holes with two moves earlier in the week.
The first was the signing of Bryn Forbes, a sharpshooting guard previously with the San Antonio Spurs. The Bucks rounded out their free agency frenzy soon after by signing 29-year-old forward Torrey Craig, initially reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The financial specifics have not been set in stone yet, but Craig’s deal will likely be on the veteran’s minimum, slated at $1.6 million for next season.
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After spending the first three seasons of his career with the Denver Nuggets, it came as a surprise to many when they rescinded their qualifying offer to let Craig walk in free agency.
Craig served as a key rotational player in Denver’s success this season, having finished as the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed and making a trip to the Western Conference Finals.
Now, he lands on another contender in the Milwaukee Bucks. As fans try to familiarize themselves with Craig, here is an analysis of his value, fit, role, and overall grade on his one-year deal with the Bucks.
The value of Torrey Craig’s deal
Reportedly agreeing to a veteran minimum deal worth $1.6 million, signing Torrey Craig is a steal for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Craig was originally a restricted free agent for the Denver Nuggets after they issued his $2.5 million qualifying offer, meaning they could match any pitch financially thrown at the 29-year-old in an attempt to retain him. However, Denver soon after rescinded their offer after a slew of moves left them with a shortage of roster openings, which made Craig the odd man out and an unrestricted free agent.
That decision paved the way for him to sign with the Bucks for the minimum, and it is a solid low-cost acquisition. Craig is coming off a two-year, $4 million deal with the Nuggets after they re-signed him after originally bringing him on a two-way deal going into the 2017-18 season.
Considering the uncertainty on the wing depth as the reshaped that area of the roster, the Bucks certainly got a defensive ace on a high-value deal.