Toronto might not have an All-Star headed to the Bay Area this year, but the Six will still have a representative participating in the festivities, as Raptors' sophomoreGradey Dick has been named to the 2025 Castrol Rising Stars Game.
Gradey Dick will participate in the Rising Stars Game
Congrats to our Rising Star 🌟 @gradey_dick
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) January 28, 2025
Open Gym: Moment presented by @Bell pic.twitter.com/O911IkQvEu
Dick took full advantage of the injury bug that hampered Toronto, which quickly established him in the early conversations for the NBA Most Improved Player award. As the Raptors began to return to full strength, Dick's productivity fluctuated as he encountered rough stretches with several offensive and defensive lapses—coming back to Earth a bit from his meteoric rise.
Nevertheless, it's been a very promising second-year campaign for the former Kansas product, who was recently suggested as one of the Raptors' primary untouchable assets (alongside franchise star Scottie Barnes).
On the season, Dick's sophomore stats are as follows: 15.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game.
The Rising Stars Game unfolds in a mini-tournament format where four teams (three squads made up of NBA talent and one unit comprised of G League players) compete in three games. But this year, there's a twist.
A set of higher stakes has been added to the Rising Stars Game, as the team that is crowned Castrol Rising Stars champion will earn a spot to participate in the updated 2025 NBA All-Star Game format, where they'll be headed by WNBA legend Candace Parker.
The 2025 #CastrolRisingStars Player Pool! @CastrolUSA
— NBA (@NBA) January 28, 2025
NBA Rookies and Sophomores will be drafted onto three teams on Tuesday, Feb. 4 (4:00pm/et on the NBA App & @NBA), with NBA G League Players to comprise the fourth team. The four seven-player teams will compete in the mini… pic.twitter.com/8BcIRAZc4J
Gradey Dick marks the first Raptor to participate in the Rising Stars Game since Scottie Barnes (who appeared in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 editions) and Precious Achiuwa (selected as a sophomore in 2021-22).
At the time of writing, no teams have been formalized, nor have the respective coaches for the Rising Stars Game squad been announced. However, fans can look forward to February 4, when the Rising Stars Draft is set to take place on the NBA App and on the league's various official social media platforms.
Then, fans can tune in on February 14 as the Rising Stars Game goes down at Chase Center in San Francisco, the same night as the Ruffles Celebrity Game.