Minnesota Timberwolves Trade For Rob Dillingham After Spurs Take Him In NBA Draft

Rob Dillingham did not hold onto his black and grey hat for long, as the San Antonio Spurs sent him to the Minnesota Timberwolves last night during the first round of the NBA draft. The Spurs selected the Kentucky PG with the #8 pick, their second selection in the top eight, but struck a deal with Minnesota. In return, the T-Wolves sent back a 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 first-round pick swap.

At face value, the Timberwolves seem to have won the trade. Minnesota needed to address the one-guard position this off-season as Mike Conley turns 37. Dillingham brings youth and energy to his game, and Conley can take him under his wing to teach the rookie how to survive in the league, standing only 6’1”. The hope for the Western Conference finalists is Dillingham can complement star SG Anthony Edwards as he enters his prime.

Meanwhile, the Spurs are looking to build around rookie of the year C Victor Wembenyama but decided to trade away a 19-year-old oozing with talent. The picks they received may not be helpful six years later, with Edwards at age 29. After taking Stephon Castle #4 last night, San Antonio has a backlog of guards, but the team should focus on the present and not the distant future.

Dillingham won SEC sixth man of the year last season, averaging 15.2 points per game and 3.9 assists while shooting 44% from beyond the arc. His running mate, Reed Sheppard, went #3 to the Houston Rockets as the Wildcat guards became the fourth Kentucky duo to be taken in the first ten picks of an NBA draft.

Minnesota and San Antonio are two teams trending in opposite directions. The Timberwolves reached the Western Conference Finals this season and 56-26 during the regular season. The Spurs finished with the fifth-worst record in the NBA at 22-60 and were drafted in the top four for the second year.