Gradey Dick reveals jersey number with Toronto Raptors

Depending on how you look at it, Gradey Dick was either a winner or loser at the 2023 NBA Draft. His flare in the green room, regardless of if you thought it was too much or not, made him a standout in the Barclays Center last week.

Now, as he heads to Toronto, the former Kansas Jayhawk is getting back to his roots with his first professional jersey number. In his introductory press conference with the Raptors on Monday, Dick says he will go back to wearing No. 1, which he repped at Sunrise Christian, after wearing No. 4 in college due to Joseph Yesufu already claiming numero uno in Lawrence.

“I’ll be No. 1,” Dick said. “I wore it all in high school. And I had to switch at four because they didn’t have one at KU. So I finally get to go back to it.”

Dick went to Toronto with the No. 13 pick in the NBA Draft. He did so after arriving at Kansas as a five-star freshman and averaging 14.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game in his lone collegiate season.

The Raptors finished 28th in the NBA last season in three-pointers made per game with 10.7. They finished with at 28th when it came to percentage from distance as well as they shot 33.5% as a team. That makes Dick an ideal fit for their roster as he made 2.3 threes per game on 40.3% shooting from deep in his 36 games as a Jayhawk. Overall, he made a team-high 83 three-pointers.

Again, Dick became a big story with his style, whether good or bad, on draft night. With him headed north of the border, he’ll now hope that his new No. 1 jersey makes just as much noise on the market ahead of his rookie season with the Raptors.

What NBA Draft experts are saying about Dick

Experts are high on Dick’s potential considering his size and skillset. When they consider his combination of frame, offensive ability, competitiveness, and confidence, they believe that he has a good chance to make an impact right away so long as he’s in the right opportunity.

“At 6-foot-8, Dick has prototypical size for an NBA wing. He projects to slide between shooting guard and small forward at the next level. Outside shooting projects to be his biggest asset, but Dick is far more than just a three-point specialist. Dick drained nearly 49% of his two-point attempts at Kansas. (He) worked his way to the free-throw line 3.0 times per 40 minutes. He also boasts above-average length and athleticism for his size. (Dick) competes extremely hard with tangible passion on both ends of the floor.”

“Viewed as a mid-to-late-lottery prospect, Dick figures to have a great chance to be a key contributor right away. Landing spot will ultimately determine his immediate upside. But Dick has the size, smarts and skillset to be a rotation player as a rookie. If he were to land with a rebuilding team, he could easily compete for a starting spot. In terms of an NBA comparison, Dick displays shades of Gordon Hayward, Bojan Bogdanovic and Saddiq Bey. Tyler Herro also comes to mind, as Dick displays similar confidence and shot-making ability, though he’s bigger than Herro and not quite as shifty.”