{"id":141960,"date":"2025-05-26T15:13:32","date_gmt":"2025-05-26T19:13:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=141960"},"modified":"2025-05-26T15:13:32","modified_gmt":"2025-05-26T19:13:32","slug":"should-the-celtics-re-sign-free-agent-torrey-craig","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/05\/26\/should-the-celtics-re-sign-free-agent-torrey-craig\/","title":{"rendered":"Should the Celtics Re-Sign Free Agent Torrey Craig?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Boston Celtics will face many crucial decisions this offseason. With a <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BobbyMarks42\/status\/1902723704322130221\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">historical payroll<\/a> and a devastating injury to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/t\/tatumja01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-05-26_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jayson Tatum<\/a>, the Celtics are expected to make <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/05\/17\/celtics-fans-say-goodbye-these-3-players\/\" target=\"_self\">some significant roster changes<\/a>. However, one of the more under-the-radar decisions will be what to do with veteran wing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/craigto01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-05-26_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Torrey Craig<\/a>. In February, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/02\/06\/boston-celtics-sign-torrey-craig-after-trade-deadline\/\" target=\"_self\">the Celtics signed Craig<\/a> on the buyout market after he was waived by the Chicago Bulls; now he is set to become a free agent this summer. Let&#8217;s dive into whether the Celtics should re-sign Craig this summer.<\/p>\n<h2>Should the Celtics Re-Sign Free Agent Torrey Craig?<\/h2>\n<h3>Craig Could be a Valuable Depth Piece<\/h3>\n<p>In 17 games (three starts) with the Celtics, Craig averaged 11.8 minutes, 2.7 points, and 2.8 rebounds. Craig appeared in five playoff games, averaging 4.2 minutes and 1.2 points. While Craig didn&#8217;t contribute much during his short time in Boston, his skill set could make him worth re-signing.<\/p>\n<p>The 6-foot-7 wing is a high-level defender capable of guarding multiple positions. In a game against the Toronto Raptors, Craig earned a start and played a de facto center role as Boston was playing without big men <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/p\/porzikr01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-05-26_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kristaps Porzi\u0146\u0123is<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/horfoal01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-05-26_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Al Horford<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/k\/kornelu01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-05-26_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Luke Kornet<\/a>. Craig&#8217;s defensive versatility and hustle allow him to fit with any lineup and could make him worth keeping on the roster. Similarly, Craig is a high-level rebounder.<\/p>\n<p>Craig only shot 29 percent from three during his time with the Celtics. However, he is a career 35.4 percent three-point shooter and can space the floor, which is crucial in <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/04\/21\/insane-stat-mazzulla-ball\/\" target=\"_self\">Boston&#8217;s three-point-centric offense<\/a>. As a low-usage offensive player, Craig fits in nicely with the Celtics&#8217; loaded core. Additionally, the eight-year veteran can be trusted with spot minutes and knows his role. Even if he doesn&#8217;t put up big minutes, Craig makes a positive impact on both ends of the floor. Overall, bringing back the veteran wing as a bench piece makes sense for many reasons.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_141979\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-141979\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/05\/USATSI_25401187_168404824_lowres.jpg\" target=\"_self\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-141979\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/05\/USATSI_25401187_168404824_lowres-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Torrey Craig is a free agent.\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/05\/USATSI_25401187_168404824_lowres-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/05\/USATSI_25401187_168404824_lowres-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/05\/USATSI_25401187_168404824_lowres-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/05\/USATSI_25401187_168404824_lowres-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/05\/USATSI_25401187_168404824_lowres-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/05\/USATSI_25401187_168404824_lowres-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/05\/USATSI_25401187_168404824_lowres-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-141979\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Feb 12, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Torrey Craig (12) takes a three-point basket against the San Antonio Spurs during the second quarter at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Craig Could be Vital Without Tatum<\/h3>\n<p>With Tatum out due to a ruptured Achilles, there will be open-wing minutes for the Celtics. Moreover, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/hausesa01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-05-26_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sam Hauser<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/03\/24\/celtics-to-replace-sam-hauser-with-baylor-scheierman\/\" target=\"_self\">could be traded due to cap reasons<\/a>, which would further increase the need for another wing. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/s\/scheiba01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-05-26_bbr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Baylor Scheierman<\/a> is poised for a bigger role and could provide similar value to Hauser as a shooter. Nevertheless, between Tatum&#8217;s injury and a possible Hauser trade, there will undoubtedly be open wing minutes.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, re-signing Craig would be logical. Craig&#8217;s defensive impact and versatility off\u00a0the bench could be vital for the Celtics. Furthermore, Craig&#8217;s contract would likely be a veteran minimum, making it reasonable for the Celtics to bring him back. If the Celtics don&#8217;t draft a wing and\/or trade Hauser, Craig&#8217;s chances of being re-signed would be highly likely. Monitoring Craig&#8217;s future with the Celtics will be an underrated story to watch this summer. Ultimately, while Craig didn&#8217;t play a big role during his time in Boston, this season, bringing him back could benefit the Celtics.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Featured image: \u00a9 Mike Watters-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Boston Celtics will face many crucial decisions this offseason. With a historical payroll and a devastating injury to Jayson Tatum, the Celtics are expected to make some significant roster changes. However, one of the more under-the-radar decisions will be what to do with veteran wing Torrey Craig. In February, the Celtics signed Craig on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4779,"featured_media":141983,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,5,62,3],"tags":[49579,798,2152],"class_list":["post-141960","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-celtics","category-nba","category-news","tag-2025-offseason","tag-jayson-tatum","tag-torrey-craig"],"modified_by":"Eamon Cassels, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141960","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4779"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=141960"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141960\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":141986,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141960\/revisions\/141986"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/141983"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=141960"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=141960"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=141960"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}