Where is Gradey Dick from? Taking a closer look at the Jayhawks' standout
Gradey Dick projects to be a lottery pick in the 2023 NBA draft after impressing during his time with the Kansas Jayhawks. Standing at six foot six, Dick has legitimate size for his position and is known as somewhat of a sharpshooter from deep.
Unlike most division one prospects, Dick remained in his home state for his collegiate career. Having grown up in Wichita, Kansas, the impending addition to the NBA played his high school basketball at Wichita Collegiate School before transferring to Sunrise Christian Academy for his final two years.
From there, Dick committed to Kansas State and went on to have an impressive season for his hometown university. In 36 appearances for the Jayhawks, Gradey Dick averaged 14.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting at a 44.2% clip from the field and converting an impressive 40% of his attempts from deep.
Given the NBA's continued focus on elite-level perimeter play, Dick could find himself going in the top 10 of the 2023 NBA draft, as teams will look to prioritize shooters who can step into their rotation and make an immediate impact.
Furthermore, at just 20 years old, Gradey Dick has plenty of time to continue developing his game at the NBA level. As such, it will be interesting to see how his playing style evolves once he's surrounded by some of the best athletes in the world and begins working with NBA-level coaching staff.
Latest mock draft sees Gradey Dick join the Utah Jazz
According to Jonathan Wasserman's latest mock for Bleacher Report, Gradey Dick could find himself being selected by the Utah Jazz with the 9th pick in the upcoming draft.
"Without an obvious star on the board, the Jazz could value Dick's sure-thing shooting and look to mirror the Miami Heat's success by loading up on shot-making," Wasserman wrote.
"Utah could be drawn to the strategy of building with the firepower/spacing provided by Dick and Lauri Markkanen alongside Walker Kessler's offensive efficiency and rim protection."
After overachieving in their first season since entering a rebuild, it will be interesting to see how Danny Ainge looks to continue building out the Jazz's rotation. However, if Dick is still on the board by the time Utah is set to make its selection, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him heading to Salt Lake City.
After all, sharpshooting guards who can also handle the ball and play defense are at a premium in the NBA - especially when they come with genuine size. Still, we shouldn't expect immediate fireworks from Dick, as finding shooting pockets is a much tough proposition when being faced down by NBA-level defenders.
The Utah Jazz doesn't project to be contending for a playoff spot next season. This means they could afford Gradey Dick all the development minutes he needs in order to turn into a legitimate scoring weapon at the NBA level.
After all, that's the beauty of being drafted by a rebuilding team - you have the freedom to play through your mistakes.