Torrey Craig returns to the NBL for the first time since 2017 by signing with the Sydney Kings as an injury replacement player. The 6’5″ forward takes over for the injured Bul Kuol who was ruled out for the rest of the season last week. Craig last played for the Boston Celtics in the NBA.

I wrote last week that “it is unlikely that the Kings will find an adequate replacement” for Kuol’s tenacious defence and his loss would alter the Kings’ championship aspirations. Well. The Kings do find an adequate replacement. They also find an incredible addition. It could almost be said that I do not know if the Kings could have found a better person to add then Craig. It is a truly stunning signing that could alter their entire destiny.

Craig is a remarkable success story. He was likely completely an unknown prospect to the NBA when he graduated from USC Upstate in 2014. Craig started his career with the Cairns Taipans where he played from 2014 to 2016 but he shone brighter during his off-seasons in New Zealand NBL where he was league MVP in 2015 and champion in 2016. He moved to the Brisbane Bullets for the 2016–17 season and was named to the All-NBL Second Team and the Best Defensive Player. Craig’s career trajectory then took him to major heights for an NBL import. He was picked up by the Denver Nuggets in 2017 where he played for three seasons as their sixth man. He then became a journeyman and had stints with the Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns, Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics. Craig played in 458 NBA games with averages of 5.9 points and 3.9 rebounds. He accomplished that through his development in Oceania and it is a testament to his talents.

After his contract with the Celtics ended at the conclusion of the 2024–25 season, Craig has remained a free agent. It is fitting now that at 35-years-old — nine years removed from when he was the 26-year-old league Defensive Player of the Year — he comes back to where it all starts. Craig was not lured by the two teams from where it all started: the 9th place Taipans or the 10th place Bullets. No, he joins a Kings team eager for someone who is undoubtedly a replacement for what was lost and an addition for what was not there. Craig’s defensive abilities might have been what gave him years in the NBA but he has strong offensive inclinations too. Last time he was here during his season with the Bullets, he averaged 15.2 points per game. Of course, that was many years ago and Craig has now gone through so many seasons of being a role player that it will be enthralling to see how much of that natural instinct comes back.

Craig’s addition now means that the Kings will now be able to legitimately run a line-up that consists of Kendric Davis, Matthew Dellavedova, Torrey Craig, Xavier Cooks and Tim Soares. Huge. It brings them back to up to being title contenders again. Perhaps they could have gone for some more height (the Kings will remain almost notoriously small with only Soares above 6’8″) but getting Craig is not an opportunity that can be ignored. Welcome back to the league.