Former Toronto Raptors guard Gradey Dick is thriving in his first season since being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Raptors traded Dick alongside All-Star forward Brandon Ingram and a hoard of draft picks and pick swaps for Kawhi Leonard, reuniting Toronto with the Finals MVP from their 2019 NBA Championship-winning season.
The trade gave Dick, who was starting to lose favor in Toronto under former head coach Darko Rajakovic, a fresh start with the Clippers under his new head coach, Ty Lue, and so far, the results have been strong.
Gradey Dick Playing Well for Clippers
So far this season, Dick is averaging 7.3 points and 4 rebounds per game for Los Angeles while playing 17 minutes per game in four games coming off the bench, with excellent shooting splits of .500/.444/.875.
As well, Lue has praised Dick for his hustle and energy off the Clippers’ bench, something is not lost on Dick, who is happy he’s getting a brand-new beginning with his current team.
“I feel like I’ve been a player like that for a while now. But it’s also something that Coach (Lue) wants. And so, especially coming into a new team like this, I’m trying to learn what’s going to get me on the floor, what’s going to keep me on the floor. And that just comes with creating extra possessions. So, if I can crash (the boards) and use my conditioning and all that, my energy to make extra possessions, I got to do that,” Dick told the OG Register.
Gradey Dick Playing for a New Contract
This season, Dick is playing in the final year of his four-year rookie contract, with the Clippers paying him $7.1 million. He will be a free agent following this season.
Therefore, Dick is playing for a new contract from the Clippers, a team where he seems to be fitting in well, or potentially even with another NBA team if other clubs are liking what they are seeing from the fourth-year sharpshooter.
It’s still early in the season, but so far, Dick seems like a great fit in his new digs in Los Angeles.
Ex-Raptors Player Gradey Dick Thriving With Clippers