Former Kansas guard Gradey Dick is on the move again, this time reportedly headed to the Los Angeles Clippers in a blockbuster NBA trade that would send seven-time all-star Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors.
ESPN.com’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday that the proposed deal is not yet finalized, but the framework has been set. Along with Leonard, Toronto would receive Dick, Brandon Ingram, two unprotected first-round picks, one pick swap and two second-round picks.
For Dick, the transaction marks another twist in a pro career that has already shifted sharply in direction. The Wichita native and former Kansas Jayhawks shooting guard was taken No. 13 overall by Toronto in the 2023 NBA Draft after a one-and-done season at KU. He is 22, stands 6-foot-7 and weighs 200 pounds, and he has now completed three NBA seasons.
He is entering the final year of his four-year rookie deal, which is worth $7,131,511 in the 2026-27 season. After that, he will be a restricted free agent.
The trade cannot become official until July 6 because of cap rules, and Toronto Star reporter Doug Smith said there are still details to be sorted out, including pick years, protections, the possibility of adding more players and how Leonard’s trade bonus will be handled. Smith wrote that the “heavy lifting on the deal has been done,” but also noted that no team official can comment before the deal is finalized.
Dick’s third season in the league was a step backward statistically. He averaged 6.0 points and 1.9 rebounds in 76 games in 2025-26, down from 14.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game the previous season.
His shooting also slipped, as he made 30.1% of his 3-pointers last season after hitting 35.0% in his second year. At KU, he connected on 40.3% from deep in 2022-23, and he shot 36.5% from 3-point range as a rookie.
A regular part of Toronto’s rotation earlier in his career, Dick saw his role shrink badly by the end of last season. He played just four total minutes across three appearances in the Raptors’ seven-game playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, which Cleveland won. He averaged only 8.7 minutes per game after the NBA All-Star break.
The forward had already been the subject of trade chatter, with the Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic and New Orleans Pelicans all reportedly interested.
Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic said after the Cleveland series, “We still believe in him and we look at this as a long-term process with him, not just something that’s game to game. Whatever happened this year, he needs to learn from that experience and come back ready to contribute next year and that means on both ends of the floor.
“Defensively, he needs to take a big step and he needs to be more consistent as a shooter,” Rajakovic added. He’s in the process of learning how to be a professional, how to embrace that role, how to learn to play that role.
And he had games where he did very well and he had games that did not do great. So he has to live with (the) process,” Rajakovic added.
Raptors general manager Bobby Webster also recently addressed Dick’s uneven season, saying, “It’s natural for a player to have ups-and-downs over the course of their season, especially at age 22. But I think, in talking to him last couple of days, he’s motivated by this. I think he’s using this as motivation to get better this summer and we fully expect a great summer from Gradey and are looking forward to next season.”
NBCsports.com’s Billy Heyen wrote that Dick’s shooting remains the key swing factor in the deal, noting that the 6-7 wing can play the 2 or the 3 but has not yet found enough consistency from deep. He also wrote that Dick “might be the swing player in this deal.”
In Other News...
Kansas Frontcourt Search Just Took A Frustrating Turn
Kansas search for help in the middle has been moving with a sense of urgency, and Moustapha Thiam had looked like one of the more natural names to watch. The 7-foot-2 sophomore, who transferred from Cincinnati, popped onto the radar after a huge night at Allen Fieldhouse and became a logical fit for a roster still trying to firm up its frontcourt behind Paul Mbiya and Christian Reeves.
Now that path has closed off, at least for the moment, as Thiam has chosen to stay at Michigan and play for new head coach Mike Boynton. For Kansas, it is another reminder that the big-man market can move quickly and leave little room for patience, which is why the Jayhawks continue to look at other options as they try to add size and stability inside. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Staff Is Already Seeing Something Different In Tyran Stokes
Before he even plays a minute in Lawrence, Tyran Stokes is already forcing Kansas staffers to look past the obvious. The freshman arrives with the kind of frame, athletic pop and shot-making ability that made him one of the most coveted recruits in the country, and his decision to choose Kansas over programs like Kentucky and Oregon only added to the expectation that he could eventually end up as a No. 1 NBA Draft type of prospect.
Jeremy Case, though, sounded like someone who sees more than the headline traits when he recently discussed Stokes on the radio. For a player whose long-term ceiling is already getting plenty of attention, it is the smaller details that can tell you whether the hype is real, and Kansas appears to believe there is another layer to Stokes that might not be getting enough notice yet. [Read more 🡒]