Raptors Sophomore Reveals Weight Gain & Outlook for Next Season

Toronto Raptors sophomore Gradey Dick says he's gained 13 pounds this summer and is ready to help space the floor for the organization this season

Mar 3, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Gradey Dick (1) reacts after sinking a three point basket against the Charlotte Hornets in the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Gradey Dick gets it.

The 20-year-old shooting guard is merely weeks away from starting his sophomore season and he's already talking like an NBA veteran. For others, it takes years of experience to understand their role. Too often, young players come into the league thinking they need to be the star of the show.

But not Dick.

The Toronto Raptors enter the season looking for a fifth starter. Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and Jakob Poeltl are shoo-ins to be four of the five, but there's still some uncertainty surrounding the final spot. What's clear, though, is that the group needs a shooter and someone comfortable taking a back seat offensively and spacing the floor on most nights.

That's what Dick is ready to do.

The 6-foot-6 guard is bigger and stronger this year, up roughly 13 pounds from last year, and more explosive and steadier, he told reporters in Montreal on Thursday.

"It's not a huge change, to be honest, because I still have so much room to grow, but at the same time it's more like the core strength and like the exercises and movements we do in the weight room that really helped me hold my ground," Dick told reporters.

But more important than that is how Dick used his summer to work on improving his game in his first real NBA offseason. He returned home to Wichita, Kansas with Raptors assistant coach Ivo Simović to develop his repertoire as an off-ball shooter.

"I always talk about continuing to find open gaps for my shots and allowing the space of the court to open up for openings for other guys," Dick said Thursday. "I feel like it's just playing off them, finding my role in that, and then expanding my game a little bit."

That's what Toronto needs from Dick this season. Barnes took a step forward as a three-point shooter last year but remains a below-average shooter from behind the arc, Barrett's career track record suggests he's an iffy three-point shooter, and Poeltl is a non-shooter from anywhere outside the paint. Without another above-average shooter on the court to accompany Quickley, Toronto's offense will get bogged down in a hurry.

Dick wants to alleviate that pressure not just as a stand-still knock-down corner shooter, but as someone capable of whizzing around the court and forcing opposing defenses to account for him with his off-ball movement.

"Most of the time you're not really cutting for your shot, you're cutting to open up someone else's, and ultimately that opens up space for you," Dick said. "At the end of the day, the more movement, the better. If you're kind of hesitating when you want to cut or not, most of the time you're a second too late. So it's more just getting out there and moving around the court and trying to try to make shots for everyone else."

If that's the mentality Dick is bringing this season, Toronto's choice for the fifth starter spot should be obvious. Sure, Dick still has a long way to go defensively, but his offsensive skillset is perfect for what the Raptors need in their starting five.