2 days Ago By Jace Frederick / St. Paul Pioneer Press
The Timberwolves made a major splash on draft night on Wednesday, moving up to the No. 8 spot to select Kentucky freshman guard Rob Dillingham, a source confirmed to the Pioneer Press. Minnesota made the deal with the Spurs, and all it cost Minnesota was an unprotected 2031 first-round pick and a pick swap in 2030.
Perhaps those picks will prove fruitful for San Antonio, but it’s rare for the No. 8 overall pick — even in a “weak” draft — to be dealt for a pick seven years down the road. The Wolves even held onto their other first-round selection — No.
27 overall — in Tuesday’s draft. ADVERTISEMENT And for Minnesota — who’s about to be shackled by second-apron restrictions from a salary cap blown by — this was a chance to make some form of a big move. That 2031 first-round pick only became available to trade on Wednesday, and basketball boss Tim Connelly held onto it for all of a few hours.
Minnesota now has no first-round picks in odd years until 2033. It cannot trade its 2032 first-round pick as a result of the deal, but that was going to be true regardless because of the apron rules. So this was the time to take a swing, and Minnesota took it by grabbing Dillingham.
The 19-year-old was a scoring phenom off the bench for the Wildcats last season. The Southeastern Conference’s Sixth Man of the Year averaged 15.2 points in just 23 minutes per game.
He shot 44 percent from deep and has the ability to get to the rim at will with lightning quickness. ADVER.
