With the Kawhi Leonard trade from the Clippers back to the Raptors seemingly close to fruition, it also puts the spotlight on the Raptors' side of things, making us wonder what the fallout of such a deal will mean for the other players involved: Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick.
Both gentlemen have been in the spotlight here on Raptors Rapture lately, with questions swirling about their futures in the Clippers’ outlook now that the long-awaited trade has gone through and LA can officially begin their rebuilding phase. There were initial rumors that BI might be rerouted to another team (in particular, the Mavericks and Masai Ujiri’s name coming up as an interesting destination), but latest reports indicate that the two-time All-Star is expected to stay with the Clips... at least for now.
Similarly, the future of Gradey Dick has been a recurring topic, with discussions around his potential playing time in LA, the chances of securing a solid role, and the fact that he's extension-eligible. Based on recent reports, though, it doesn’t seem like an extension is on the horizon for the former 13th overall pick. In fact, considering how bleak of a year the ex-Kansas product just had and the fact that LA will need to make two roster cuts given their current situation, Dick’s name has been tossed around as a potential player at risk of being let go.
Dick’s value has pretty much tanked up to this point in his career. While you could still classify him as a ‘young’ player, he isn’t exactly a tantalizing asset. His inclusion in the mega Kawhi trade was essentially as salary filler alongside Ingram to match the financial obligations. Recently, Yossi Gozlan of the Third Apron Podcast examined Dick’s place in this Clippers construct moving forward in an LA-focused offseason episode with NBA writer Tomer Azerly of ClutchPoints.
Gozlan pointed out that Dick could be in the same conversation as Johni Broome, who LA absorbed this offseason from the 76ers, in order to clear room to sign veteran Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. He also notes that training camp could reveal new layers to these discussions about which players the Clippers will need to decide to cut.
However, there’s no urgent rush to make those decisions now, as they have the flexibility to do so just before the season starts. Azarly chimed in, emphasizing this important point about Dick — that he could be higher in the Clippers’ eyes than Broome, but not in a way that guarantees him significant playing time or a concrete role.
Gradey Dick's contract could help the Clippers down the line, saving him a roster spot in the meantime
He said (YouTube link here): “[…] Gradey Dick would be easier to include in any kind of trade if he needed to for additional salary than maybe a guy like Johni Broome at 7 million. So if he keeps a spot, it could be used for that down the line. Maybe not necessarily to play. So that's another reason why I think it could be Broome.”
With where the Clippers are right now (significantly down first-round draft capital after a colossal punishment from the Kawhi Leonard investigation), their continued presence in the trade market seems like a no-brainer. And they’re not short on valuable assets to at least net some second-round picks, from Rui Hachimura to Max Strus, Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr., and even other names like Bradley Beal or Brook Lopez depending on how their seasons turn out. Ingram isn’t left out of this discussion either, though his hefty salary makes him a tougher move.
However, Dick’s expiring $7.1 million deal, paired with some of those other assets, could give them a shot at taking on slightly bigger, less appealing contracts — bad money, sure, but offset by draft capital coming back the other way. Broome, both as a player and financially, doesn’t quite have that luxury, and Cam Christie looks like the other guy set to be cut.
So for Gradey Dick, it might not be the most glamorous future, but it’s definitely better than getting shown the door when there's still some appeal left on the table.
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