How close are the Toronto Raptors to making another run in the NBA Playoffs?

11 players will be under contract for Toronto in the 2023-24 season, according to sports contract and salaries website Spotrac. Forwards Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby and Scottie Barnes highlight the players who could return for the Raptors next season. Forwards Thaddeus Young and Joe Wieskamp are listed with non-guaranteed contracts.

The Raptors had plenty of options to look out for with their only selection of the night. They welcomed one rookie to their roster during the 2023 NBA Draft. They had to address the need to add extra scoring firepower off the bench entering the draft after they ended last season with 28 bench points per game, putting them at 29th in the NBA. 

What was the best move the Raptors made on draft night?

Drafting Gradey Dick

The Raptors selected Kansas guard Gradey Dick with the 13th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Dick, a former five-star recruit from Wichita, Kan., initially committed to the Jayhawks over offers from Baylor, Creighton, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Texas Tech, among others, according to 247Sports. He joined a 2022 Kansas recruiting class that took fifth place and included three four-star recruits.

The 6-foot-8-inch guard earned 14.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.4 steals during the 36 games he played for Kansas last season. He hit 44.2% of his attempts from the field and 40.3% of his tries from the 3-point line. Only forward Jalen Wilson, now a member of the Brooklyn Nets, scored more points per game than Dick on the roster.

Kansas head coach Bill Self praised the 19-year-old guard in February.

“He’s the best freshman shooter I’ve ever had, so, hands down,” Self said, via the Topeka Capital-Journal. “So, we’ve just got to get him more shots. But he’s the best freshman shooter I’ve ever had, and we’ve had some pretty good freshmen if you go back to (Joel) Embiid and (Andrew) Wiggins and those cats. So, I'm not going to say that.

“But as far as having a freshman year, I would put his freshman year with just about anybody, any freshman that we’ve ever had here, when you just talk about the year.”

Dick said he wanted to show his versatility earlier this month.

“I've always wanted to show my versatility,” Dick said, via All Pacers. “When I come into a play style like the NBA, it really excites me when the floor is more opened up.”

If Dick can continue shooting at a consistent rate as he makes his jump into the NBA, he can be a solid option for the Raptors as they look for extra scorers and shooters off the bench.

Toronto's bench hit 32.6% of its attempts from the 3-point line last season, putting it in 27th place in the NBA behind the Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Pelicans and New York Knicks. Guard Gary Trent Jr., who shot 36.9% from the 3-point line last season, opted into his $18.5 million player option for the 2023-24 season last week. Forward Otto Porter Jr. and Malachi Flynn, who both hit 35.3% of their 3-point attempts last season, will also be under contract for Toronto next season.

The Raptors will likely still need to look for shooting talent in free agency, but having Dick on the roster can at least give them a reliable option off the bench on a budget for the foreseeable future.