Masai Ujiri and the Toronto Raptors made one of the more interesting first-round picks in the 2023 NBA Draft, using the No. 13 selection on Kansas wing Gradey Dick. All the rumors that linked Toronto to Dick at No. 13 have been proven true after a very slight slide.
Not only did the Raptors manage to fill a position of enormous need, but they did so while getting tremendous value and also eschewing the temptation to draft another raw 6-8 forward. For a freshman, Dick is a very polished offensive player who will be a threat on that end very early into his pro career.
While the Dick selection will help the Raptors’ roster and offensive philosophy, home being picked this high will inevitably lead to some groups not getting what they want. Who will benefit from this pick, and who will end up getting the short end of the stick?
Winners and Losers after Toronto Raptors draft Gradey Dick.
Winner: Scottie Barnes
Barnes and Dick had a connection prior to them being drafted, as they share an agent. The link between these two should only get stronger when the whistle blows, as Dick appears to be a player that was taken with the express purpose of being a co-star next to Barnes.
It is quite difficult being a player who prides themselves on being an elite passer on this Raptors team, as they often lacked the spacing and shot-making capabilities to take full advantage of Barnes’ skills. Dick coming to town would help turn that right around.
Gradey Dick and Scottie Barnes will lead the Toronto Raptors.
New head coach Darko Rajakovic was likely hired due to the fact he had a master plan to make Barnes a genuine force in the Eastern Conference. He will likely do this with a unique blend of offensive styles that focuses on ball movement and efficient 3-point shooting.
Dick is not a perfect prospect, but he should be a solid fit next to Barnes due to his 3-point shooting. With how much of Toronto’s future is completely embedded in Barnes and his success, it makes sense to add shooters who can get open when defenses hone in on Scottie.
Loser: Otto Porter Jr.
The Raptors barely even got to see how Porter fits into the rotation, as he played just eight games. While he could be a versatile defender that supplements his primary skill with some solid 3-point shooting, Dick could make him redundant.
Even if the 3-point shooting cancels each other out, Dick has the potential to be a much more creative offensive player who is equally annoying and disruptive on the defensive side. All of that points to an expanded role for Dick and a minimized role for Porter.
Gradey Dick could be bad for Otto Porter Jr.
Attempts to trade Porter might prove difficult, as the thinking around the league seems to be that Porter’s injury history has made him a negative asset. The Raptors might be stuck with him despite the fact they drafted an ostensibly better player to take up his rotation spot.
Porter may end up in the Thad Young role, as he will be seldom used and only called into action when the outcome of the game has already been decided. That is certainly not what Ujiri and the front office expected when they gave him a ton of money in free agency.
Winner: The Bench
The Raptors’ bench has been a code red issue for the last few seasons, as names like Precious Achiuwa and Chris Boucher have been one of a very select group who has actually been pulling their weight. Even if the Raptors are banking on internal improvement, some more improvements are needed.
Dick has a very good chance of becoming the team’s Sixth Man right out of the gate. With the next two guys off the bench being rim-running forwards in Achiuwa and Boucher, adding a guard that can snipe like Dick should be a breath of fresh air for Toronto.
Gradey Dick will help the Toronto Raptors’ bench.
While Nick Nurse’s penchant for playing his starters an excessive amount of minutes hurt the Raptors in the long run, his hand was forced due to the lack of quality alternatives on the roster behind him. Rajakovic won’t have this problem in his debut season.
Dick may not be a dominant creator right away in the NBA, but he can shoot the lights out, and that should translate well from the collegiate ranks. When he meshes with the second unit, Dick might play a huge part in returning this group to respectability.
Loser: The Anti-Fred VanVleet crowd.
While the Raptors are preparing to potentially lose VanVleet in free agency due to his contract demands, they have already made it very clear they intend to pursue him with a competitive offer. The Dick pick did not do a ton to placate those who don’t want VanVleet to return.
Dick is many things, but a ball-handling point guard is not one of them. Rather than grabbing a player like Keyonte George or Jalen Hood-Schifino, who was picked No. 16 and No. 17 overall by the Jazz and Lakers, respectively, Toronto went after an off-ball guard who can’t replace VanVleet.
Will Fred VanVleet return to the Toronto Raptors?
If VanVleet leaves, the best options for Toronto are to spend whenever cap space that they acquire with VanVleet leaving on a new point guard or lean fully into the Scottie Barnes at PG experiment. Jeff Dowtin and Malachi Flynn are a very uninspiring collection of backups.
Toronto seems to be willing to run it back this season, albeit with a much better shooter in Dick on the roster this go-around. As such, fans praying that VanVleet starts his next chapter away from Toronto might need to look at their recent enemy in Raptors colors for the next few years.