Ujiri may not have made the big offseason trade many were expecting, and even more were hoping finally went down, but he did make some incremental moves around the edges. To say the Raptors have been unremarkable despite all these changes is a massive understatement.

Through one-quarter of the 2023-24 campaign, the Raptors’ offseason moves include one iffy move that is still very much up in the air, a wily veteran who has outperformed his contract, and a roll of the dice that has come up snake eyes in the most embarrassing fashion.

Grading all Toronto Raptors’ big offseason moves after one-quarter of 2023 season

Drafting Gradey Dick

When the Raptors used their first-round pick (No. 13 overall) on Dick, they likely anticipated he could be able to slide right into the rotation as a valued shooter. Instead, it looks like he needs a bit more seasoning in the G League before he can contribute regularly at the NBA level.

In an ironic twist of fate, Dick has excelled in many aspects outside of shooting. His feel for the game is terrific, and he’s looked better on defense than many expected for a teenager his size. However, with a 3-point percentage under 30% from the field, Dick has been too ineffective to get rotation time.

Gradey Dick has had mixed results for the Toronto Raptors.

The Raptors likely thought Dick’s shooting would create a path to some consistent NBA time in 2023. If getting minutes out of him as a rookie was a stated goal, then this pick has not looked very effective at all, and Ujiri should be raked over the coals for this pick.

However, it would be foolish to judge a player like Dick on just a few games very early in his career. Things haven’t looked very pretty early on due to the sudden disappearance of his shot, but the hope he could eventually make good on all that promise is there.

Grade: C

Bringing in Jalen McDaniels

The Raptors gave McDaniels a two-year deal with the expectation that he would take his second chance and run with it. After an encouraging Charlotte tenure was screwed up by a poor stint in Philadelphia, McDaniels has continued to regress to the point where he is essentially unplayable right now.

Rajakovic confirmed that Otto Porter Jr. will remain in the team’s rotation at the expense of McDaniels, who was taken out of the rotation after just four games and has only seen spot duty ever since. McDaniels is averaging just 2.1 points per game on 28% from the field and 18% from 3-point range.

Jalen McDaniels has been very disappointing for the Toronto Raptors.

The Raptors gambled on McDaniels’ shooting, and it appears though the dealer has cleaned them out after such a considerable investment. While he has had some flashes in his brief cameos following his demotion, none of those flashes have been strong enough to get anyone excited about his performance.

At this point, it is very hard to envision a future in which McDaniels sticks around next season. With him regressing and Toronto not in need of another offensively-challenged forward who can switch on defense, a clean break and fresh start is likely best for both parties.