It should come as no surprise that tall, wiry, athletic former University of Kansas shooting guard Gradey Dick appears to be a natural in the game of golf.
“I started like a year ago. I played a lot of baseball growing up, so yeah, I’ve got the technique down. I just don’t know where it’s going sometimes,” the 21-year-old third-year member of the NBA’s Toronto Raptors told The Star on Thursday in a phone interview.
Dick’s first-annual “Gradey Dick Charitable Golf Tournament” is set for Aug. 11 at Wichita’s Crestview Country Club.
The 6-foot-6, 200-pound Wichita native and Sunrise Christian Academy graduate emerged as a full-time starter for Toronto in his second year in the league (2024-25). He has quickly become hooked on the sport of golf, so to speak.
“That’s our home course, so I’ve played it these last couple weeks, probably every day (while visiting his hometown),” he said of Crestview Country Club North course, site of his tourney.
Dick, whose best round of golf so far is “probably an 80,” also will hold a camp for youths on Aug. 10 at Wichita Hoops in Bel Aire, Kansas.
It’s all part of his trying to give back to his hometown through his Gradey Dick Donor-Advised Fund, which according to gradeydickgolf.com is “a philanthropic platform designed to make a positive change by investing in the state’s most impactful non-profit organizations that unlock the full potential of the communities they serve.”
“Last year was my first-ever basketball camp. So this year we’re doing that again, but we kind of wanted to do some more,” Dick said. “And one of my hobbies is obviously golf. So I think we all thought it would be fun to get a tournament started and make some money to give to local charities out here in Wichita. We try to keep it a local charity and give back to Wichita.”
He said the actual charities that will benefit should be released “on the date of the tournament.”
Gradey Dick says he’s 100% recovered from injury
Good news for Toronto Raptors fans is Dick is healthy enough to play in his own golf tourney.
Dick — he averaged 14.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game in 2024-25 — played in 54 games. He missed the final 21 games of the season because of a right knee injury sustained in a game against Orlando on March 2.
“I’m all good. I’ve been good for a long time now. I’m working out like normal and getting ready to go to summer league, work out with the guys and then, yes, just keep going throughout the summer,” said Dick, who will practice with the Raptors in Las Vegas (July 10-20) but, as a third-year veteran, not play in the team’s five summer-league contests.
“I think as an overall goal, we just want to win,” Dick said of his goals for the 2025-26 season. Toronto went 30-52 a year ago.
“Sounds simple,” he stated, “but I think do whatever we can to win. And little stuff goes into that, like making sure we get good workouts in personally, and then eventually getting the team together where we can build as a team, build that chemistry off the court.
“That’s what I think summers are great for, is building that chemistry so we can hit the ground running going into the season.”
Advice to current Jayhawks who are free agents
Former KU players Hunter Dickinson, Dajuan Harris and Zeke Mayo will play in the NBA’s Las Vegas Summer League for New Orleans, Charlotte and Washington, respectively.
His advice to the trio, who are trying to gain spots in the league as free agents?
“What I tried to do when I got in there … first be a sponge,” said Dick, who was the 13th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. “Try to learn as much about your team as much as you can before the games start. Talk to the coaches. (Do) the little things that not a lot of people do, and then eventually, on the court, just take every possession seriously.
“Some guys … you don’t want to compare obviously, but some guys may take the little plays off here and there. If you go hard the whole game people are going to see that.”
Dick will be rooting for the Jayhawks to make rosters.
“They’ve got the talent to do it,” said Dick, who averaged 14.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game in 36 games for the Jayhawks in 2022-23. “What I already think about, Juan, my favorite ... I love Juan and hope for the best for him and the other guys. Time will tell with them obviously. But the work they put in is what they’re going to get out of it.”
Dick — he is entering the third year of his four-year rookie contract — is quite happy playing for the Raptors, who appear to be in a rebuilding mode. He’s to make $4,990,560 this season. The club has an option for the 2026-27 season with a deadline of Oct. 31.
“I love Toronto, love the city, love the people, everything. It’s been a great time there. The people are so kind,” Dick said. “First of all, they like you for the person you are and then obviously they’ll probably like you a little more if you are playing well.”
Representing KU is fun
He’s seen a lot of KU fans at his NBA games.
“A lot of away games,” he said. “When we played the (Denver) Nuggets, it’s like me, Ochai (Agbaji, Raptors teammate) and C.B. (Christian Braun, Denver) are all there in one place. It’s pretty cool to see a lot of people wearing Kansas jerseys.”
He follows the fortunes of the KU Jayhawks.
Asked about the 2025-26 KU team, he said: “You have a Hall of Fame coach like coach (Bill) Self, he’s going to know what to do. As long as you follow what he says, I think we’ll be all all good.”
For information on the golf tourney and clinic go to gradeydickgolf.com