Rob Dillingham's inability to earn a real role with the Minnesota Timberwolves has been a key story of the season. With Mike Conley aging and Nickeil Alexander-Walker leaving in free agency, there was a clear opportunity for the second-year guard to earn some real minutes. However, this hasn't been the case as his minutes (9.8 mpg), points (3.6 ppg), and efficiency (37.8 EFG percentage) have all declined since last year.
Dillingham has been out of the Timberwolves' rotation for a month now -- as Bones Hyland has emerged as the team's seventh man. Earlier this week, Jake Fischer reported the Wolves could trade their 2024 first-round pick at the deadline. Honestly, this wasn't a shocker given Dillingham's lack of minutes and the Wolves' desire to upgrade their point guard depth.
Now, who the Wolves could land for Dillingham is unclear. Fischer mentioned the possibility of combining Dillingham and Conely to trade for a mid-tier salaried guard. Another possibility is that Dillingham, another young player, and/or draft capital could be used to target someone on a cheaper deal like Jose Alvarado or Kris Dunn.
Regardless, the Timberwolves trading Dillingham doesn't just seem possible but highly likely.
Dillingham is likely to find a new home
Saturday's loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers is another example of Dillingham's future with Minnesota being dim. He did earn 2:50 minutes, but that was in garbage time. Not playing real minutes has become commonplace for Dillingham, but this game felt more telling as Mike Conley was out, and Joe Ingles even got three minutes of playing time in the first half. Dillingham last played non-garbage time minutes on December 27.
It's also worth noting that Terrence Shannon Jr. has been injured for the past eight games, and Dillingham still hasn't been able to earn minutes.
As a 6-foot-2, 175-pound guard, it's far from a shock that Dillingham has taken time to develop. Nevertheless, the Wolves have championship aspirations and need to prioritize winning. Unfortunately, this makes Minnesota the wrong team for Dillingham, and this increases the likelihood of a trade deadline move.
Trading Dillingham would sting as the Wolves traded a future first-round pick and a pick swap to draft him in 2024. The hope was that he could be the point guard of the future next to Anthony Edwards. However, if trading Dillingham is what it takes to put the team in a better position to win, that's something Minnesota must do.
At 21, Dillingham still has plenty of upside. His blend of shot creation, blazing, and playmaking makes him an intriguing investment for a rebuilding team. Yes, he has shown much this season, but the skill set and upside are still there. On a team that could commit to his development, I feel confident in saying that Dillingham will become a quality rotational guard.
That's not something the Wolves can do, unfortunately. The Wolves have displayed interest in Collin Sexton, and I think the Charlotte Hornets could be a nice spot for Dillingham to rejuvenate his career.
Ultimately, a Dillingham trade would be in the best interest of all parties, and it's starting to feel inevitable.