Raptors' Former Lottery Pick Finding his NBA Footing

Toronto guard Gradey Dick is beginning to find his rhythm in the NBA.

Oct 26, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Gradey Dick (1) drives to the basket past Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Drafted at No. 13 in the 2023 NBA Draft, former Kansas wing Gradey Dick saw a turbulent first season in the NBA.

In his first 14-game span before seeing G League time, he averaged just 4.0 points on 27% shooting, looking far from the threat he did with the Jayhawks. Time with the Raptors 905 squad did him some obvious good, though, and he ended his debut season averaging 12.5 points on 41% shooting in 21 games.

Now, the 6-foot-7 wing seems to truly be finding his NBA footing.

In the Raptors loss to the Timberwolves on Saturday, Dick was the star of the show for Toronto, scoring a team-high 25 points in the starting lineup on 9-for-16 shooting overall and 4-for-9 3-point shooting. Additionally, he added two assists, one rebound and one steal.

But it wasn’t his first good performance of the brand-new season.

Through three games, Dick is now averaging 16.3 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists while shooting 45% overall and 37% from beyond the arc.

His statistical leap would be a massive benefit to Toronto, who is still in search of longterm prospects to add next to star Scottie Barnes for the foreseeable future.

Dick becoming a true member of the team's core is pivotal to the Rapors, who likely don't want to spend the 2025 NBA Draft cycle searching for more off-ball scoring with so many franchise talents near the top.

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