Will the newest Boston Celtic make his debut for the reigning champs on Saturday against the mighty New York Knicks?
After veteran Torrey Craig was waived by the Chicago Bulls earlier this week to accommodate the Bulls' incoming post-Zach LaVine trade haul of point guard Tre Jones, shooting guard Kevin Huerter, and center Zach Collins, he became one of the more coveted free agents on the buyout market.
Boston quickly snatched up the 6-foot-7 combo forward, who was clearly eager to join the ranks of an established contender.
Per the league's latest injury report, Craig will sit out the matchup between the two Atlantic Division rivals.
He's returning to competition reconditioning and dealing with a right ankle issue.
Among Boston's other rotation pieces, only six-time All-Defensive guard Jrue Holiday will be sidelined against New York. He's dealing with a right shoulder impingement.
The two-time All-Star seems to have regressed a bit for Boston this season. He's averaging 11.0 points while slashing .438/.342/.900, 4.4 rebounds, 3.7 shooting splits and 1.0 steals a night.
Elsewhere for Boston, two-way players Drew Peterson, Anton Watson, and JD Davison are all on the shelf. Two-way Knicks players Jacob Toppin and Kevin McCullar Jr. are on the shelf. Among New York's rotation pieces, only reserve center Mitchell Robinson remains unavailable as he continues to recover from an offseason left ankle surgery. He has yet to play for the Knicks this year.
That said, starting New York forward OG Anunoby has been listed as doubtful to play through a sprained right foot. Five-time All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns is grappling with a right knee patellar tendinopathy, but is considered probable to play.
Craig could be an intriguing piece for the 36-16 Celtics. Especially since he's only a ninth or 10th man anyway, he was a worthwhile addition as a flier.
The 34-year-old had fallen out of favor with Chicago head coach Billy Donovan. Across just nine games (one start), Craig averaged 6.9 points on .489/.429/.750 shooting splits, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.6 dimes in 12.6 minutes per.
