Darko Rajakovic Praises Gradey Dick Amid Rotation Changes

It has been a long season for Gradey Dick, and the third-year guard has not had the easiest time finding his place in the Toronto Raptors' rotation.

After being drafted 13th overall in 2023, Dick started 71 games across his first two seasons and looked like a building block for Toronto's future.

This year has been a different story, though, as the addition of Brandon Ingram pushed Dick to the bench and his role only got smaller from there.

His minutes dwindled, his three-point shot stopped falling, and he even received multiple DNP-Coach's Decisions as head coach Darko Rajakovic trimmed the rotation for a playoff push.

Through 63 games this season, Dick is averaging just 6.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game while shooting around 31 percent from deep, which is a career low.

For a player who was viewed as one of the top shooting prospects in the 2023 draft class, those numbers have been tough to watch.

Dick's 2025-26 campaign has been defined by ups and downs, and his role has shifted on what feels like a week-to-week basis.

There were moments that showed his potential, like his first career double-double against the Pacers when he went off for 21 points and 11 rebounds, or his 14-point outing against the Bucks on 3-for-4 shooting from three.

But there were also stretches where he barely saw the floor, including a run in late February where he logged just six total minutes across three games and received two straight DNPs.

The arrival of Ingram, along with the emergence of Ja'Kobe Walter and Jamison Battle, created a numbers game that Dick was losing.

His shooting struggles only made things harder, as his 31 percent clip from three gave Rajakovic fewer reasons to keep him in the lineup.

It all painted a picture of a young player whose future in Toronto was very much up in the air.

That is what made Rajakovic's comments after Sunday's 122-92 win over the Dallas Mavericks so meaningful.

Dick responded to his recent absence from the rotation by scoring 10 points on 4-for-8 shooting in just 13 minutes off the bench, and after the game, his head coach did not hold back with praise for how Dick handled the adversity.

"He handled it in the best possible way," Rajakovic said. "He went back and he put a lot of work. He was going back at night to shoot. He was coming early and was the first one in the gym every morning to get shots, to put the work in."

That is the kind of response that coaches love to see from young players, and it clearly left an impression on Rajakovic.

Some players in Dick's position would have checked out mentally or let the frustration get the best of them, but Dick did the opposite and put his head down in the gym.

Rajakovic then took it a step further and made a declaration about Dick's place on the team going forward.

"He's in the rotation now. That should not change," Rajakovic said. "There is a high expectation for him. He needs to put a lot of work in, because he's a very, very important player for us. I have huge trust in him."

With the Raptors sitting at 36-27 and holding the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, every rotation decision matters from here on out, and keeping Dick in the mix makes a lot of sense for Toronto.

The Raptors rank near the bottom of the league in three-point shooting, and they need every capable shooter they can get on the floor.

Dick may be in a slump right now, but his shooting pedigree is real, and it would not be surprising at all to see him heat up down the stretch once he gets consistent minutes again.

He also plays hard on the defensive end and has shown the ability to grab rebounds and make hustle plays that do not always show up in the box score.

Toronto has 20 games left in the regular season and a legitimate shot at making the playoffs for the first time since 2022, and having a player like Dick ready to contribute off the bench could make a real difference when matchups get tighter in April.

Rajakovic's trust in Dick is not just talk, either, because the coach has consistently talked about believing in his long-term development even during the rough patches.

Now it is on Dick to take that trust and run with it for the rest of the season.