Raptors plan to give struggling rookie Dick a G League stint
The Toronto Raptors are looking to give 2023 first-round draft pick Gradey Dick a bit of a reset.
Prior to Friday’s contest against the Chicago Bulls, Toronto head coach Darko Rajaković suggested that a stint with Raptors 905 in the G League could help rejuvenate the struggling rookie, who sat out Wednesday’s contest against Indiana, the first time in his NBA career he’d picked up zero minutes.
“It’s a fine balance for sure,” Rajakovic told reporters prior to the game. “He is the future of the organization, and he has tremendous talent. At the same time, he’s very young, and there is no other way to learn than to be in the rotation, to be out of the rotation, to play G League, to find a way back, to find energy… He’s our future, and we need to invest in him.”
Asked to follow up if the team has identified opportunities on the 905 schedule for Dick to play in, Rajakovic confirmed it’s something the team is looking at.
“Yes, yes for sure,” he added.
One of those opportunities could come as soon as tomorrow afternoon when the team’s G League affiliate plays host to Capital City Go-Go.
Dick, who turned 21 earlier this week, has averaged 4.0 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 14 games this season, shooting .270 from the field and .244 from three-point range.
Of course, G League stints aren’t all rare for most NBA draft picks. Toronto’s lone pick in 2022 — Christian Koloko — played 11 games with Raptors 905 last season, while 2020 first-rounder Malachi Flynn played six games in the G League in the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season.
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