How Rob Dillingham fits in with the Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves made a significant long-term investment by trading with the San Antonio Spurs for the No. 8 pick in Wednesday night’s 2024 NBA Draft. The Wolves gave up a 2030 pick swap and an unprotected 2031 first-round pick in order to draft the rights of Kentucky freshman Rob Dillingham.

Those picks are still several years out, but sending out that kind of draft capital is always a risky move. However, Minnesota saw an immediate hole in their roster they needed to fill and they were able to do so by drafting Dillingham and not having to overspend in free agency. The Timberwolves were exploited by the Dallas Mavericks in this past season’s Western Conference Finals due to a lack of premier ball handlers and shot-creators. On the other end of the hardwood was a team with two such stars: Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

Minnesota has a certified superstar in Anthony Edwards, who turns 23 in August, but lacks another player of similar skills. Veteran point guard Mike Conley is now 36 years old and nearing the end of his career. The Wolves front office has invested a tremendous amount of money ($107 million for just the 2024-25 season) in a trio of big men: former Kentucky center Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert, and Naz Reid.

Grabbing Dillingham right now was worth the investment in the front office’s eyes.

“I was talking to (Timberwolves president of basketball operations) Tim (Connelly) quite a bit in the leadup to the draft. I wasn’t gonna blow up his spot but he loves Rob Dillingham,” ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony said on the Lowe Post about Minnesota’s pick. “…Tim Connelly just got eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks, he saw Luka and Kyrie and said ‘Hey, I need a version of that. Get me the best ball handler in this draft.’ And he went and did that with Rob Dillingham.”

The Timberwolves made the most aggressive move of Round 1 by trading up for Rob Dillingham, as President Tim Connelly tries to find Mike Conley's eventual successor. With Dillingham, Minnesota now has their own version of Kyrie Irving to pair with Anthony Edwards. pic.twitter.com/4gwyxSJohR

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 27, 2024

Dillingham was a polarizing figure in this year’s draft. While his shot-creating and ball-handling abilities are undeniable, he measured as one of the smallest players at the Combine and can be a bit erratic at times. It’s the price you have to pay for a player of his skillset though, and Minnesota believes it’s one that will fit perfectly alongside Edwards as the two continue to develop.

“Unquestionably Rob Dillingham is the most talented player any title contender added on draft night,” ESPN’s Kevin Pelton said. “And I think he can help them off the bench as a rookie.”

Just how soon Dillingham can make an immediate impact will determine whether or not this move paid off. The Timberwolves will look to contend for NBA titles over the next several seasons as long as Edwards remains on his upward trajectory, but championship windows are never as big as they appear and money is going to be tight moving forward.

This was a win-now move for the franchise and there weren’t going to be many better (or affordable) options than Dillingham in terms of what they were looking for.

Minnesota, the NBA’s top-ranked defense in 2023-24, is also positioned well to hide some of Dillingham’s struggles in that area. Jaden McDaniels was an All-Defensive wing this past season while Nickeil Alexander-Walker grew on his own on that end. Of course, everything is funneled towards Gobert — now a four-time Defensive Player of the Year winner — at the rim. By hiding his defense, Dillingham should be allotted the offensive freedom he needs to thrive, particularly when Edwards takes his breaks on the bench.

There will be plenty of pick-and-roll/pop usage between Dillingham and any of the Timberwolves’ three bigs, as well. Dillingham averaged 3.9 assists in just 23.3 minutes per game off the bench at Kentucky. He is comfortable and confident working the ball around when a shot doesn’t come his way. Towns, in particular, will benefit from open three-pointers as Dillingham dances his way into the paint.

“It’d be great if he was 6-4, but if he was 6-4, he would probably be the No. 1 overall pick in this draft,” Analyst Tyler Metcalf of No Ceilings NBA said. “That’s how good his offense is, that’s how dynamic he is, and how rare of a talent he is in this class.”

Dillingham also couldn’t have found a better veteran point guard to begin his NBA playing career under than Conley. Edwards’ ultra-competitiveness should rub off, too. The learning curve could be a struggle early on for Dillingham and he still needs to add more muscle, but when it comes to pure offensive talent, there wasn’t a better prospect on the board than the North Carolina native.