Kevin Durant’s stranglehold on the 2022 NBA offseason has slowed down trade and free-agent activity, with several teams in a holding pattern waiting for the Brooklyn Nets to lower the price for their 2x former Finals MVP. The Boston Celtics could theoretically be one of the teams in the sweepstakes for Durant, but their more likely place in the KD proceedings will be to absorb salaries from teams into their TPEs to make a convoluted arrangement (which it will most likely be) work out numbers-wise.
Should they go route, the Phoenix Suns–the current favorite landing spot if Durant does indeed get traded–have a ‘name worth making a call about’ in forward Torrey Craig, according to MassLive’s Brian Robb. Craig is a five-year veteran out of mid-major USC Upstate and progressed from playing overseas his first four years as a professional from 2014-17 to become a contributor on a Western Conference contender in 2021 and 2022.
As a defensive-minded wing, Craig’s stats don’t pop off the page. The 31-year-old did have a fine shooting season in 2020-21, however, splitting time with the Milwaukee Bucks and Suns, the two Finals teams that year. Craig shot 37% from the 3-point line, but has since regressed back to his career 33% conversion rate over the past year with both the Indiana Pacers and the Suns — who traded back for him at the trade deadline in exchange for Jalen Smith and a future second-rounder. Phoenix didn’t re-sign Craig back during the 2021 free agency period, but ended up trading for his $5 million salary anyway.
Robb broke down the reasoning for the Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics would consider getting together for a Torrey Craig trade:
"“On the wing, another name worth making a call about is Torrey Craig ($5.1 million) in Phoenix. The Suns could be looking to trim salary depending on how the situation with DeAndre Ayton plays out and Craig is a defensive-minded forward who could fit in nicely with Udoka’s scheme.”"
The Boston Celtics’ biggest need is a backup big man
Truthfully, the player the Suns traded for Craig, former Maryland center Jalen Smith, is a more desirable trade option for the Boston Celtics at this juncture due to their current frontcourt needs behind Robert Williams and Al Horford. Smith had a breakout with Indiana over his final 22 games of 2021-22, averaging 13 points, 7.6 rebounds, an assist and a block per game.
There may not be a big man worth investing a chunk of the $17.1 million Evan Fournier TPE into, but the free agent market has several low-risk, high-reward bigs (Dwight Howard, DeMarcus Cousins) that Boston could pursue.