On Thursday, the Celtics added their first non-draft player to their title-winning team by signing free agent forward Torrey Craig.

Craig, an experienced NBA player, is set to add a fresh dynamic to the latter part of Boston’s bench, which previously consisted mainly of younger, less seasoned players. The 6-foot-5 forward announced on his Instagram story that he will don jersey number 12 for the Celtics.

What might the Celtics gain from this signing after the trade deadline? Here’s an examination of Craig’s background:

Experience

Torrey Craig, now 34, is entering his eighth season in the NBA, and Boston marks his sixth team, excluding his earlier stints in Australia and New Zealand. Since his NBA debut with Denver in 2017, he’s played in 441 games, starting 168, across teams including Milwaukee, Phoenix, Indiana, and Chicago.

Craig has substantial playoff experience, with 75 games under his belt, his most recent participation being with the Suns in 2023. He was also on the Phoenix team that made it to the NBA Finals in 2020-21. He was waived by the Bulls just this Monday.

This contrasts significantly with Boston’s other bench players — second-year pro Jordan Walsh, rookie Baylor Scheierman, two-way player Drew Peterson, and the recently traded Jaden Springer — who have yet to prove they’re ready for consistent NBA action. Craig should provide a dependable wing option behind stars Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Sam Hauser, particularly on nights when key players are out.

The Celtics have faced numerous games this season where not all their main rotation players (Tatum, Brown, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, Payton Pritchard, Luke Kornet, and Hauser) were available, having all nine together for fewer than a quarter of their 52 games.

Craig is expected to take on a role akin to what Oshae Brissett did last season (55 games, averaging 11.5 minutes per game), allowing younger players like Walsh, Scheierman, and Peterson to continue their development.

Defense

Torrey Craig is primarily recognized for his tenacious and adaptable defense. According to Cleaning The Glass, he’s been in the 93rd percentile or higher for shot-blocking percentage at his position in four out of his seven full NBA seasons. He’s also proven to be a capable rebounder on both offense and defense, ranking in the 71st percentile for defensive rebounds with Chicago last season and the 88th percentile for offensive rebounds.

Last season, opponents shot over 40% from three-point range when Craig was the closest defender, as per NBA player tracking data. However, this season, that figure dropped to 33.3%, although this is based on a limited nine-game sample size. In the 2022-23 and 2021-22 seasons, opponents shot 34.8% and 33.6% respectively with Craig defending.

Perimeter shooting

Torrey Craig isn’t known for filling up the stat sheet, with career averages of 6.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. His career 3-point shooting percentage of 35.5% is average, but he’s shown improvement in his long-range game in recent years while taking more shots from deep. In the 2022-23 season, he hit 39.5% of his threes (3.2 attempts per game), and last season, he shot 39.2% (2.9 attempts per game). This season, in his nine games with the Bulls, he was even more effective, making 42.9% of his three-point attempts (15-for-35).

In his last game before being waived, Craig had an impressive performance, going 5-for-7 from three-point range and scoring a season-high 18 points in an overtime victory against Charlotte. He also made 3 out of 5 three-pointers in a November 29 defeat to Boston.

Injury concerns

Torrey Craig’s last game with Chicago was over a month ago on December 30. He’s been out since then due to an ankle sprain, which the Celtics will assess during his physical examination before their Saturday game against the New York Knicks, as reported by Jared Weiss from The Athletic. This season, before his release, Craig only played in back-to-back games twice (though he was available but did not play in some of those games). He also had knee and foot problems last season.

Therefore, staying healthy will be crucial for Craig as he starts his journey with the Celtics. He will be the third-oldest player on the team, only younger than Al Horford (38) and Jrue Holiday (34).

With the NBA trade deadline set for Thursday at 3 p.m. ET, the New York Knicks find themselves in a promising spot, having won seven of their last eight games and with good news about Mitchell Robinson’s injury recovery.

A notable development from their recent victories over Houston and Toronto is the increased playing time for rookie Ariel Hukporti.

Coach Tom Thibodeau inserted him into the game early against the Raptors, where he contributed six points and five rebounds in 19 minutes, while veteran Jericho Sims barely played.

Fans have been vocal about wanting Hukporti to play ahead of Sims all season. Although the rookie has much to learn, he can’t do so effectively from the sidelines.

He’s not expected to play 20 minutes each night, but with the Knicks needing frontcourt depth until Robinson’s return, Hukporti’s role seems justified. Sims, who has been with the Knicks since 2021, hasn’t shown he merits a consistent rotation spot.

This situation suggests the Knicks might look to make a trade. With Sims set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, there’s little urgency for New York to re-sign him.

Jericho Sims’ time with the Knicks could be coming to an end

On Tuesday, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported that Jericho Sims has caught the attention of teams like the Lakers, Clippers, and Bucks.

Sims’ trade value is estimated to be around one or two second-round picks. At this point, it makes more sense for the Knicks to trade him rather than lose him for nothing when he becomes a free agent.

However, the Knicks face a complex situation. Mitchell Robinson was given the green light for contact on Monday, but that doesn’t mean he’s ready for game action immediately. He’s been out since last May due to ankle surgery, and conditioning will take time.

There have also been whispers about trading Robinson himself. James L. Edwards III from The Athletic mentioned that league sources thought the Knicks were “open” to moving him, though this might have shifted since Robinson’s medical clearance. Alternatively, the Knicks might look to move Sims’ expiring contract to gain more frontcourt support.

Fortunately, fans won’t have to wait long to see what the Knicks decide, with trading Sims seeming like part of the plan.

The Dallas Mavericks are in Boston for the last game of their road trip on Thursday. The big talk has been the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade.

Davis has been nursing an abdominal strain, so his status for tonight’s game against the Celtics is up in the air.

Several Mavericks players won’t be playing. PJ Washington is out for personal reasons, with his wife having just given birth.

Caleb Martin, who was recently traded from the Philadelphia 76ers, won’t play as his trade is still pending. Additionally, Dereck Lively II and Dwight Powell are sidelined due to injuries.

Davis is listed as questionable on the NBA injury report because of his abdominal issue. The trade that sent Doncic to the LA Lakers was quite unexpected, leading to criticism for Mavs GM Nico Harrison, though acquiring Davis could be beneficial for the team.

Davis is one of the NBA’s top big men, known for his versatility, offense, and defense. He could form a strong duo with Kyrie Irving.

As for whether Davis will play tonight against the Celtics, it’s still uncertain.

Former Celtics Forward Reacts to Trade Reunion Rumors

The Boston Celtics have limited flexibility for trades due to being in the second apron, which means they must match salaries precisely for any new player acquisitions.

Despite this, the Celtics boast one of the NBA’s top starting lineups when everyone is healthy, so they aren’t pressured to make moves. However, some additional help could always be beneficial.

On Wednesday, they made a move to reduce future luxury tax by trading Jaden Springer to the Houston Rockets, although this doesn’t change their second apron status. They’ll need to be strategic with any trades as the deadline approaches on Thursday.

One player linked to the Celtics is Guerschon Yabusele, a former Celtic who’s now with the Philadelphia 76ers after a standout performance in the Olympics. He’s having a good season on a team potentially out of playoff contention, and adding him could significantly boost Boston’s bench.

When questioned about trade rumors, Yabusele responded in a straightforward manner.

“Well, I feel like with what happened last night, everyone’s in a place where you can be moved,” he said on Sunday. “I’m not trying to think too much about it, and just come out here, do my job and do it the best as I can.”

The Boston Celtics are still in the running for an NBA championship even if they don’t make any trades. However, bringing in Guerschon Yabusele would give them an advantage they seem to lack right now.

Yabusele adds valuable size to the bench and comes with an expiring contract valued at just over $2 million, making him a cost-effective option. It’s rare to find a player who performs at his level for such a price.

This season, Yabusele has been putting up 11.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2 assists per game, while also shooting an impressive 40% from three-point range.