Reportedly Available Gradey Dick Would Be a Worthy Flier for Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans are not expected to make radical changes to the roster this offseason. Once they hire their next head coach, the Pelicans will mostly bring back the same core from last season, much to the frustration of their fans.

However, that doesn't mean that the Pelicans won't make any additions to upgrade the roster. One of their most obvious needs is shooting. They may not have the resources or the interest to swing big for a sharpshooter, but it behooves them to take a flier on a shooter or two.

One name who could emerge as a trade target that makes sense is Gradey Dick of the Toronto Raptors.

Gradey Dick Could Be a Low-Risk, High-Reward Trade Target for Pelicans

Following Toronto's elimination in Game 7 against the Cavaliers, Michael Grange of SportsNet wrote about the Raptors' offseason. Mentioned among the potential moves by the front office was trading Dick "into another team's cap space this summer" to free up more money. Grange added that Dick "would be amenable to" a trade in the offseason.

This is hardly surprising. The 22-year-old shooting guard was not a part of Toronto's playoff rotation. His minutes took a big hit this season, especially after the All-Star break. With the arrival of Brandon Ingram and the emergence of Ja'Kobe Walter, there weren't too many minutes to go around on the perimeter. Dick ended up averaging 8.7 minutes per game since the All-Star game.

Head coach Darko Rajakovic preferred to play bigger and rely more on defense-first players. Dick has physical and defensive shortcomings, and when he isn't making enough shots, it becomes difficult to play him. The former Kansas standout shot 30.1% from three this season, which is an unacceptably low rate for his player type.

Dick obviously wasn't as good as many had hoped in his third season, but that is what makes him an intriguing buy-low option. Dick is the type of player the Pelicans have to take a flier on: one who is young, has upside, possesses a valuable skillset, and needs another chance.

When he had a larger role last season, when Toronto was rebuilding, Dick was able to put up solid numbers. He doesn't do much else other than shoot jumpers and score, but that may be enough for the Pelicans. New Orleans was one of the worst-shooting teams in the league last season, both in terms of attempts and makes. The Pelicans simply need players who can get threes up, and Dick can certainly do that.

The Pelicans don't have to give up anything of value to acquire Dick. The Raptors are more interested in offloading Dick's contract, which will pay him $7.1 million for next season. That may be an overpay, but it is also an expiring deal.

If the experiment doesn't work, the Pelicans could quickly move on from him, even at the trade deadline if they need to. If it works, the Pels could have a high-volume, high-accuracy shooter in their rotation.

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