Kansas basketball: Jalen Wilson, Gradey Dick make NBA preseason debuts

Former Kansas basketball players Gradey Dick and Jalen Wilson competed in their first NBA preseason games this week.

Two Kansas Jayhawks were selected in the NBA Draft this past June. Sharpshooter Gradey Dick was a lottery pick by the Toronto Raptors, while the Brooklyn Nets took a flier on 2022-23 Big 12 Player of the Year Jalen Wilson. Both players stepped foot onto an NBA court for the first time in the past few days.

Dick was the more productive Jayhawk when the Raptors took down the Sacramento Kings 112-99 on Sunday. He did not appear in the starting lineup but played 14 minutes off the bench, totaling five points and three rebounds on 2-of-6 shooting. He also sunk his first 3-pointer in the pros.

Here is the clip of his first NBA basket:

Wilson also came off the bench for Brooklyn but struggled to get it going, making 1-of-2 free throws — which was his only point — and missing both field goals while collecting one rebound and one assist in 13 minutes. He is a two-way player and can alternate between the G League and NBA anytime. The former All-American is being coached by former Jayhawk Jacque Vaughn, one of the greatest pure playmakers to ever compete in Allen Fieldhouse.

While neither debut was spectacular, both enjoyed success in the NBA Summer League. Wilson averaged 17.6 points and 7.8 rebounds in the team’s five contests, while Dick averaged 16 points and 6.0 rebounds. As they continue to become acclimated to the league and their teammates, Gradey Dick and Jalen Wilson have the potential to become the next great Kansas basketball player in the NBA.

Wilson’s next appearance could come in tonight’s showdown between the Nets and the Israel-based basketball club Maccabi Ra’anana. Dick and the Raptors do not play again until Sunday, Oct. 15, against the Cairns Tapens of Australia.