This week, the Minnesota Timberwolves officially exercised their team option on Rob Dillingham's contract ahead of the 2025-26 season. In making this move, the team is clearly expressing their belief in the second-year guard and showing that they still believe in his ability to be a game-changing type of player.
He'll now be with the Wolves through at least the 2026-27 season. Dillingham's rookie deal is worth $28.4 million over four years, with the first two seasons guaranteed. Now, Minnesota is making it known that he will be back next year without a doubt as well.
Everyone that paid attention last season knows that Rob's rookie season was perhaps a bit more limited than initially expected. In a season where there was a lot of roster shake up just before the year really got going, Chris Finch was thrust into a situation where he was forced to rely a bit more on his veterans than he might have thought back on draft night.
The Timberwolves clearly still believe in Rob Dillingham
The situation that resulted was one where Dillingham didn't end up getting quite the amount of playing time that a lot of fans suspected he would get. Now, with the Timberwolves' roster losing Nickeil Alexander-Walker over the summer, there becomes that much more of an opportunity for Rob to make his mark this season.
That's precisely what a lot of viewers are expecting him to do this year. Minnesota is likely going to ask Dillingham to lead the second unit at times and provide real production when Mike Conley has to sit down. And the coaching staff is clearly trusting him to take this next step and be a guy who can help them win games this year.
It's clear that with Conley entering what would appear to be the final stages of his career, the Wolves are clearly in need of backcourt production, the type of which Rob can provide. There are still going to be some questions, as Dillingham's defensive consistency is likely his biggest issue right now. But as his usage rises this season, it's clear that this team believes in his ability to continue developing and round out the edges in his skillset.
Picking up this third year on his contract is a clear indicator of the team's continued belief in Rob Dillingham. Finch and the staff are giving him a chance to earn even more meaningful minutes, and his potential emergence would be monumental for this team.