Entering the season, expectations were high for second-year guard Rob Dillingham among Minnesota Timberwolves fans. I'll be the first to admit I was on the hype train -- perhaps even the conductor of the hype train. To say that Dillingham's season hasn't gone as planned would be an understatement.
The 2024 lottery pick has been outside of the Wolves' rotation since December, with Bones Hyland replacing him. When Dillingham has played, he has struggled. Notably, he is averaging just 3.5 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists on 33.3/36.4/75 shooting splits. For a slim 6-foot-2 guard to struggle this much as a scorer makes it difficult to play him meaningful minutes.
Ahead of the trade deadline, Dillingham is seen as the Wolves' top trade candidate. Whether he's part of a larger deal or the Wolves use Dillingham to make a move around the margins, it feels nearly certain that he's moved ahead of Thursday's deadline.
With only one game left before Thursday, it's not far-fetched to believe that we've seen the last of Dillingham in a Wolves uniform.
Dillingham could get his career back on track with a new team
Maybe I'm just an internal optimist -- but despite a shaky start to his career, I refuse to give up on the possibility that Dillingham blossoms into a real NBA contributor.
Undoubtedly, a change of scenery would benefit him. Simply put, it's really hard for a young (and raw) guard to develop on a competitive team, even if they could use a guard. Landing on a rebuilding team that could commit to his development would greatly benefit Dillingham. And for the Wolves, Dillingham is one of their few real trade assets to upgrade their guard depth.
The Wolves will likely have to attach some second-round draft capital to Dillingham. Nevertheless, it's possible that trading him could bolster their depth in a big way. I've pitched the Wolves trading for one of Tre Jones, Ayo Dosunmu, and Jose Alvarado. Dillingham would likely be traded as part of any of these deals.
Of course, the Wolves have also been linked to bigger deals, most notably for Giannis Antetokounmpo. I'm skeptical of the Wolves pulling off a massive trade before Thursday -- but if they do, expect Dillingham to be a filler part of a big move.
Maybe I'm off base, but I don't see a path where Dillingham stays past the deadline, and this is clearly in the interest of both parties. Undoubtedly, it stings that the Timberwolves whiffed on Dillingham in the 2024 draft. However, if the Wolves can land an impact player in exchange for Dillingham at the deadline, this will soften the pain.