© Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Chicago Bulls make Torrey Craig signing official
The Chicago Bulls' acquisition of tough "3-and-D" forward Torrey Craig was made official by the team on Sunday. Formerly of the Phoenix Suns, the South Carolina native has signed a two-year deal with the Bulls. And according to Bulls insider Daniel Greenberg, Craig's contract is worth $5.4 million.
Breakout season
Craig is coming off an exceptional year for the Suns, where he suited up in 79 games, starting in 60 of them. He also notched career-highs in points, rebounds, assists, and blocks with averages of 7.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 0.8 blocks per game. The bright lights of the NBA Playoffs did little to faze the rugged forward as he bumped his numbers to 12.4 points on 64 percent shooting from the field, including a sizzling 55 percent from three-point land.
He even tallied a postseason career-high 22 points in the series-opener against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Value to the Bulls
Although Craig's tough-as-nails defense and hustle will be valuable to the Bulls, it is his three-point shooting that will be critical to his new team's success. Craig made 39 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc last season, and if he can replicate that feat, then he will be a great addition to the Bulls' offense. Furthermore, Craig's ability to stretch the floor with his shooting range will open up opportunities for his teammates to get easy shots and create space in the paint, something that Chicago sorely needs.
