Fresh off a breakout season, the Minnesota Timberwolves traded in the lottery for Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham on Wednesday in exchange for draft picks years later.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Minnesota dealt an unprotected 2031 first-round pick and agreed to a protected 2030 pick for the rights to Dillingham, who the Spurs selected with pick No. 8. The pick was the second of the night for the Spurs, who selected UConn guard Stephon Castle at No. 4.
Dillingham joins a Timberwolves team that finished with the third-best record in the Western Conference and then defeated the reigning champion Denver Nuggets in the playoffs en route to the conference finals.
Dillingham, a 6-2 guard who can shoot from distance and attack the basket, will provide Minnesota with a scoring punch in the backcourt alongside All-Star Anthony Edwards. Dillingham, 19, averaged 15.2 points, 3.9 assists, 2.9 rebounds and a steal while shooting 47.5% from the floor and 44.4% from 3-point range in his lone season at Kentucky.
The biggest blow to his play will be his defense, which could stand out from a team that built its identity on that side of the field last season. He will join a backcourt that also includes veteran point guard Mike Conley, who signed a two-year, $20.1 million extension through the 2025-26 season in February.
