Farewell to Gradey Dick

While it hasn’t been as widely discussed for obvious reasons, the Kawhi Leonard trade also marks the end of Gradey Dick’s rocky tenure with the Toronto Raptors.

When Dick was drafted with the 13th overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft, there was a lot of hype about his arrival in Toronto. He was exciting, goofy, and on the basketball court he provided exactly what the Raptors needed.

“I think we had Gradey, in kind of his own group.” said Bobby Webster after the Raptors drafted Gradey Dick 13th overall. “I’m sure we’ll see how it all plays out over the next couple years. I think the size, shooting, the I.Q. probably stood out quite a bit. He’s not just a shooter, he knows how to play off the ball. He knows how to make backdoor cuts. He can pass well. He rebounds well. I think he’s more of a well-rounded player even though he’s probably gonna get pegged early as just a shooter.”

As Bobby Webster laid out, albeit in a short, press conference-y manner: Gradey isn’t just a shooter. He is, of course, an elite shooter. One of the best to come out of the college game in the past 5 years. But, he’s an ever-impressive connective playmaker, which is something that the Raptors, and other teams that Gradey worked out with, got to experience first hand while working him through all the drills that test the limits of a players ability to make progressive reads. Attack the top-foot, find the lane, read the help, make the play – he passed with flying colors.

Gradey Dick is in a group of his own – Samson Folk

Unfortunately for the now 22-year-old guard, things never quite fell into place in the way that either side hoped throughout his tenure with the team. It says a lot that the Raptors, who rank near the bottom of the league in every three-point statistic, couldn’t find ways to keep Dick on the court. That’s primarily because he has not been a good shooter in the NBA. In fact, he’s had one of the most perplexing shooting drop-offs in recent NBA history, at Kansas he shot 40% from deep on over 200 attempts. In the NBA he’s never shot above 36.5% and it’s gotten worse year over year, with this past season reaching a career-low of 30.1%.

Though it didn’t work out in Toronto, I’m confident that Dick will still find his way in the NBA. Even without the shot being as advertised, he’s shown improvement as a defender, he can cut and run the floor fairly well (don’t ask about finishing though), and his midrange game is under-utilized. He plays with energy and at his size he’s a fairly good offensive rebounder, especially off of missed free throws.

With reports after the season that Dick was open to a trade out of Toronto, it seemed inevitable that his time was coming to an end with the Raptors, and yet it still kind of hurts that we aren’t going to see him reach his full potential here. Don’t get me wrong, you do the trade ten times out of ten and the change of scenery was needed for both sides, but still, it’s a bit sad when things just don’t work out.

I remember being really excited when Dick was drafted, it was the first time in recent history that the Raptors didn’t go with their typical out of left-field draft strategy and instead drafted the best player available that fit one of their biggest needs. He was immediately a fan-favourite with his energy, personality and of course his flashy red draft suit. I think that’s part of the reason why a portion of the fanbase has turned so harshly on him over the last season, they expected better from him, he was supposed to solve problems for the Raptors, not become one himself.

He never reached the lofty heights that were placed upon him and his shot never came around. We can go back and place blame on both player and franchise, but sometimes things just don’t click. Instead let’s appreciate the effort he gave, and wish him the best of luck as he begins his next chapter with Brandon Ingram in Los Angeles. Besides, he was part of the package that brought home Kawhi Leonard, he’s forever a Toronto legend for that alone.

Farewell Gradey Dick. Los Angeles, treat him well. He’s poised for a big season.