Torrey Craig trade earns Suns a B-plus grade from ESPN

Trading cash considerations to the Milwaukee Bucks for Torrey Craig is not earth-shattering stuff. Yet for the Phoenix Suns, it’s a nice use of the open roster spot left when the team opted to release center Damian Jones weeks back.

ESPN’s Kevin Pelton gave the move a B-plus grade from the Suns’ perspective as they got involved in a secondary trade related to the Bucks acquiring P.J. Tucker from the Houston Rockets.

It was a little surprising that Craig never found a role in Milwaukee. A key contributor for the Denver Nuggets over the previous three seasons, including making 14 playoff starts, he never looked comfortable with the Bucks after suffering a nasal fracture early in the season.

Craig joins a crowd on the wing for the Suns, who already have Jevon Carter, Langston Galloway, E’Twaun Moore and Abdel Nader all battling for the scarce minutes behind starters Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges. So it’s possible Craig won’t earn much more playing time in Phoenix. Still, the Suns weren’t likely to do any better to fill the 15th and final spot on their roster.

It could be underwhelming if this is all the Suns do before the trade deadline to prepare for a playoff run, but adding a wing defender with playoff experience is never a bad thing.

Maybe Craig never cracks the rotation. Or maybe if injuries strike Phoenix, the team has someone who can wear on a star player for stretches.

The worst-case scenario is that Craig has to play heavy minutes in the playoffs against a wing-heavy team like the Los Angeles Clippers.

And that isn’t so bad.

Craig has never averaged more than 5.7 points per game.

A product of USC Upstate, he grinded his way onto the Denver Nuggets roster in 2017 and for the next three years carved out a key role, starting 69 of 172 games.

While he is limited offensively, he’s a selective but high-efficiency finisher at the rim. Craig is just good enough of a three-point shooter (32% for his career) to make defenses at least think about closing out on him.

With the Bucks, it didn’t fit to play a sub-par floor spacer next to MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo or in place of All-Star Khris Middleton.

On the Suns, Craig might be behind Bridges, Jae Crowder, Cam Johnson and even Abdel Nader because of his limitations. But he does bring a different type of fearless defender who can play as a small-ball four or the wing.

To plug that into an open roster spot while taking advantage of a Milwaukee team that needed to get more flexibility was a fine move.

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