Dick faces Raptors for first time since trade - BERITAJA

VANCOUVER – Gradey Dick repeated 1 connection to picture the emotion up of his first crippled against the squad that drafted him successful 2023 — “bittersweet.”

Part of a package woody sent from the Toronto Raptors to the Los Angeles Clippers successful speech for aging superstar Kawhi Leonard, Dick suited up against the Raptors successful pre-season action astatine Rogers Arena connected Saturday.

The Raptors sent Dick, Brandon Ingram, 2 unprotected first-round picks (2031 and 2033), a 2027 first-round prime swap, and 2 second-round picks successful speech for Leonard, who helped Toronto triumph its only NBA title successful his only play pinch the nine successful 2018-19.

The nine selected Dick pinch 13th wide successful the 2023 draft. He averaged 20 minutes and 9.2 points per crippled complete the people of his 3 seasons successful Canada.

“It makes maine deliberation about the past 3 years,” Dick said successful the hours earlier tipoff successful Vancouver connected Saturday. “It’s benignant of bittersweet, but astatine the aforesaid time, it’s NBA basketball.”

“Me being from Kansas and going each the measurement retired to Toronto, the first clip I’m surviving distant from my family,” Dick added. “(Toronto) benignant of welcomed maine pinch unfastened arms each the way. That’s why it’s benignant of bittersweet.”

The waste and acquisition faced complications, pinch the Clippers and Raptors opting to not reason the woody until the NBA had vanished its net headdress circumvention investigation into the Clippers.

The NBA opened its record successful September into whether a $28 cardinal endorsement statement involving Leonard collapsed convention rules.

The 35-year-old is moving his measurement backmost to fittingness and is not expected to play successful the short-term.

Leonard is coming disconnected the highest-scoring play of his career, averaging 27.9 points for the Clippers successful 65 games.

The investigation near Dick successful limbo arsenic he waited for the convention to wrap up its activity earlier the waste and acquisition could beryllium completed.

“Fortunately, about that clip I was connected picnic pinch my family,” he said. “It was easy to person them thief maine support my caput connected consecutive and not really attraction connected different stuff.

“On the hoops broadside of it, it was really conscionable maine doing my individual worldly and being fresh for immoderate the determination called for.”

Clippers caput coach Tyronn Lue said he’s looking for the Wichita-born guardant to go much accordant from the three-point line.

“I had a talk pinch him this summertime about getting to beryllium a 38-, 40-per-cent three-point shooter,” said Lue, who added he’s unsure if Dick’s assurance took a hit. “He was beautiful adjacent successful his first twelvemonth successful the league.”

Dick changeable 36 per cent from beyond the arc successful his first season, but dipped to 30 per cent by the clip he near Toronto.

“He’s very talented and being capable to trim the measurement he does, slash the measurement he does, to play successful transition,” Lue said. “Add that to his crippled I deliberation it would make him a very bully player.”

Raptors caput coach Darko Rajakovic said he and Dick were capable to matter Friday and person a small spot of a catch-up earlier Saturday’s game.

“He’s 1 of the about talented players successful his draught people and I deliberation he’s going to person an astonishing career,” Rajakovic said. “He conscionable needs to beryllium consistent, to person a accordant opportunity and he’s going to shine.”

This study by BERITAJA was first published connected Oct. 10, 2026.