The Minnesota Timberwolves surprised many by trading a 2030 protected first-round pick swap and an unprotected first-round pick in 2031 to the San Antonio Spurs for Kentucky Wildcats combo guard Rob Dillingham. This move is considered one of the riskiest draft-day trades in recent history.
Dillingham, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound guard, comes with an impressive resume. As a five-star recruit from ESPN, he was named Second-team All-SEC, a member of the SEC All-Freshman Team, and SEC Sixth Man of the Year. However, at just 19 years old with only one collegiate start, there are questions about his ability to adapt to the NBA, where he will face larger, faster, and stronger opponents.
With the Summer League concluded, some questions about Dillingham have been answered.
Making his debut for the Summer Timberwolves, Dillingham led all rookies in points created per game at 34.0. He posted an encouraging stat line of 13.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game, hitting 36 percent of his shots from the field and 31 percent from beyond the arc. At times, Dillingham displayed his skills, driving to the basket energetically and setting up his teammates for scores.
While optimistic fans have reasons to be hopeful, Dillingham’s shooting percentages from the field and deep are concerning. Considering that a good shooter typically aims for a 50-40-90 stat line, his struggles with shooting are frustrating, especially since he is unlikely to grow taller.
For Dillingham to thrive, he needs to embrace contact, draw fouls, and score around the rim, similar to Minnesota’s current point guard, Mike Conley. The Timberwolves’ decision to trade a future first-round pick for Dillingham indicates their belief in his potential. However, for Minnesota to achieve its goals, they must find ways to score when Dillingham is on the court, possibly using him more as a distributor rather than a primary scorer.
Fortunately, the Timberwolves coaching staff recognizes the importance of developing Dillingham into a complete player and are encouraged by his initial performance in the Summer League.
The Timberwolves Believe Rob Dillingham Can Be a Well-Rounded PG
In an interview with The Athletic, Minnesota Summer League head coach Chris Hines discussed Dillingham’s potential and the team’s plans to prepare him for the NBA.
“It’s not about him scoring. He’ll figure that out in his long journey in the NBA, how to score, how to pick his spots. He’s super talented. We just have to figure out how to hone that talent in,” Hines said.
“He has so much wiggle in his game, and he understands the dump-off passes right now. Once he starts understanding how to read the floor, the pick-and-roll, he’s going to be a beast in terms of having everybody involved. He’s gonna be a prolific scorer in the NBA one day. It’s about understanding our culture and fitting into that culture. We’ll develop everything else behind that.”
Whether in Las Vegas or Lexington, Hines has consistently found ways to run an offense for himself and his teammates. Winning SEC Sixth Man of the Year and being drafted ninth overall are testaments to his offensive skills. While Dillingham is undersized and an average outside shooter, the Timberwolves view him as a key piece for both immediate contention and as a future point guard when Conley retires.
If Dillingham can balance being a short-term and long-term contributor for the Timberwolves, this trade could prove to be a masterstroke, especially considering the player the Spurs received in the deal is currently in middle school.
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