Contemporary off a breakout season, the Minnesota Timberwolves traded into the lottery Wednesday for Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham in change for draft picks years down the street.
Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Minnesota dealt a 2031 unprotected first-round choose and agreed to a protected 2030 choose swap for the rights to Dillingham, whom the Spurs chosen with the No. 8 choose. The choose was the second of the night time for the Spurs, who chosen UConn guard Stephon Fort at No. 4.
Dillingham joins a Timberwolves staff that completed with the third-best file within the Western Convention, then defeated the reigning champion Denver Nuggets within the playoffs en path to the convention finals.
A 6-2 guard who can shoot from vary and assault the basket, Dillingham will present Minnesota with backcourt scoring punch alongside All-Star Anthony Edwards. Dillingham, 19, averaged 15.2 factors, 3.9 assists, 2.9 rebounds and a steal whereas capturing 47.5% from the ground and 44.4% from 3-point distance in his lone season at Kentucky.
The most important knock on his sport is his protection, which may stand out on a staff that constructed its id on that finish of the ground final season. He’ll be a part of a backcourt that additionally options veteran level guard Mike Conley, who signed a two-year, $20.1 million extension in February by way of the 2025-26 season.