After bowing out to Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat in seven games in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, the Boston Celtics have shaken up their roster this summer through trades and free agency. Back in late June, the Boston Celtics completed a blockbuster three-team deal with the Washington Wizards and the Memphis Grizzlies. The Celtics got star big man Kristaps Porzingis, the 25th pick in the 2023 draft and a 2024 protected first-round pick. The Wizards received Tyus Jones, Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala, and the 35th pick in the 2023 draft, and the Grizzlies received defensive ace Marcus Smart.
Porzingis was the Celtics' biggest off-season acquisition, but he wasn't their only off-season acquisition. They also added Indiana Pacers forward Oshae Brissett and Toronto Raptors point guard Dalano Banton in free agency. Banton is an intriguing prospect, and Brissett projects to be a rotation player for the Celtics.
Despite all of the good acquisitions Boston has made so far this summer, though, the Celtics made one glaring mistake in free agency by not signing former Phoenix Suns player Torrey Craig, who recently agreed to a two-year deal with the Chicago Bulls. With all of that said, let's look at two reasons why the Boston Celtics should have signed Torrey Craig in free agency.
2 reasons Celtics should have signed former key Suns player in free agency
Grant Williams may be on his way out soon
Considering the Celtics' acquisitions of Porzingis and Brissett, it's hard to imagine that Grant Williams will re-sign with Boston this summer. After all, even last season, when Boston's frontcourt was much thinner, Williams wasn't a consistent member of head coach Joe Mazzulla's rotation. Believe it or not, Sam Hauser, a fringe rotation player, was ahead of Williams in Mazzulla's pecking order at one point during the season.
While Williams didn't play as many minutes as Celtics fans may have anticipated, he produced when he was on the floor. Offensively, Williams' most valuable skill was his floor-spacing ability, as he shot 39.5% from behind the three-point arc on the season. And on the defensive end of the floor, Williams held his own against both guards and forwards thanks to his unique combination of foot speed and strength.
If Williams ends up leaving the Celtics this summer, his absence will be felt on the court, as he has been a valuable player for the Celtics on both ends of the floor the last two seasons. But if the Celtics acquired Torrey Craig in free agency, it would have made Williams' departure much more palatable.
Torrey Craig's 3-and-d skillset
The acquisition of Torrey Craig would have softened the blow of losing Williams because they have similar skill sets to each other. Like Williams, Craig thrived as a catch-and-shoot threat from behind the arc in the 2022-23 season. He converted 39.5% of his long-range shots (ironically, the exact same three-point percentage as Williams) on 3.2 attempts per contest. And also like Williams, Craig is a versatile defender who made life difficult for opposing players of several different positions, as he averaged 1.4 combined stocks — steals and blocks — with the Suns during the 2022-23 regular season.
Whether or not the Boston Celtics will decide to add any more players to their roster via free agency remains to be seen. But what's abundantly clear is that they should have signed Torrey Craig.
Follow Us
Subscribe