Bucks' next hidden gem project is rotting on Raptors' bench

In a year's time, Gradey Dick has gone from exciting sophomore scorer to a ghost on the Toronto Raptors' bench. In their playoff series against Cleveland, he has appeared in two games for a total of three minutes and 35 seconds. 

The Milwaukee Bucks should take notice. Entering his final year under contract, Dick is a prime candidate to become their next buy-low success story. 

Former lottery pick has reached end of the road with Raptors

The Bucks found a diamond in the rough by snagging Ousmane Dieng at the trade deadline. The former 11th overall pick broke out immediately as a two-way playmaker. Holding onto him in restricted free agency should be a priority this summer.

Like Dieng, Dick is a one-time lottery selection, drafted 13th overall out of Kansas in 2023. He looked like a player on the rise after averaging 14.4 points per game in his second season. 

He lost his starting job on a newly competitive Raptors roster in 2025-26. Toronto slashed his playing time by more than half, and he put up the lowest box-score stats of his career: six points per game, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.7 assists. In the playoffs, he has vanished altogether.

Still just 22, Dick clearly needs a change of scenery. Toronto has given up on him. For the Bucks, it could be the perfect time to strike. 

Despite the ex-Jayhawk's struggles, he quietly showed promising signs on defense. He was more efficient at the rim. Dick still has upside as a productive sixth man if he can rediscover his natural affinity as a scorer.

Surprising defensive improvements should catch Milwaukee's eye

It might surprise Toronto fans to learn that, on both ends of the court, Dick posted positive plus-minus and on-off numbers (for the first time in his career). Per Cleaning the Glass, the Raptors were 1.4 points better per 100 offensive possessions with Dick on the floor. Defensively, they held opponents to 3.6 fewer points. 

Dick's improvement in those areas may be due in part to facing opposing bench units, rather than starters. Garbage time variance could be a factor, too, as he mostly disappeared from the regular rotation from late February on. 

Still, the degree of difference is noteworthy; his defensive on-off rating went from 13th percentile in 2024-25 to the 80th percentile in '25-26. Indicating more active involvement on defense, Dick's steal rate increased by 40 percent. While some of that is likely random noise, it would be unfair to dismiss the numbers entirely. 

Converting more efficiently up close is a promising start

At 6-foot-7, Dick has the length to play the wing, though his lack of on-ball physicality makes him more of a two. To be effective in any role, though, he has to knock down outside shots. His 3-point percentage dipped by 5.5 points, to a meager 30.1, compared to his first two seasons. An elite shooter in college, he hasn't shown the same ability in the pros. 

Although Dick has to get back to making threes at a capable clip, a higher conversion rate on attempts inside the arc is already a positive indicator. While his was less efficient in the mid-range, he made 2-point shots overall at a career-best 53 percent clip. He converted 71.7 percent of his shots at the rim (0-3 feet), compared to just 58.2 percent the year before. 

On shots from 3-10 feet, he went from 31 percent to 36 percent - obviously, he still has plenty of room to grow. Getting to the rim more often, whether on drives or off-ball cuts, was also an encouraging development.

Dick will make $7.1 million next season, an easily workable figure. Flipping a Gary Harris-sized salary, for example, would get the job done for the Bucks, assuming Harris exercises his 2026-27 player option. Toronto might be glad just to dump Dick's money, while Milwaukee would have the chance to evaluate an ex-lottery pick. Sound familiar?

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