After a rookie season without regular playing time, Rob Dillingham is heading into a crucial second year. While he seems to be earmarked for more playing time this season, there have been rumors throughout the offseason of adding another point guard. A spot in Minnesota's rotation may not be set in stone for Dillingham if they were to add an established floor general.
According to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, the Timberwolves are likely to bring guard Bones Hyland back into the fold. Turning 25 years old on September 14, the four-year veteran joined Minnesota in late February on a two-way deal.
With the schedule trickling out bit by bit, now is a good time to take stock of the Wolves roster, including the plan to add depth behind Mike Conley and Rob Dillingham.
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) August 14, 2025
(Link below) pic.twitter.com/5lb2sqfOqz
While Hyland is a point guard, he shouldn’t overtake Dillingham in the backcourt pecking order.
Bones Hyland seen as favorite to re-join Wolves
Very little was seen from Hyland after joining the team. The 2021 first-round pick only appeared in four games for a total of 17 minutes, scoring five points and dishing out four assists.
The point guard position has been one in question all offseason. Mike Conley will soon turn 38 years old, and it’s not yet clear if Dillingham is ready for an expanded role for a team with championship aspirations.
Hyland shouldn't threaten Dillingham's playing time
If the Timberwolves do indeed bring back Hyland, that would be further showing that the team believes in Dillingham as a rotational piece. Hyland would pose little threat for his playing time.
The other guards that Krawczynski listed would at least put more pressure on Dillingham, particularly Malcolm Brogdon. The 2022-23 Sixth Man of the Year, Brogdon, is arguably the best point guard remaining on the free agent market. He likely wouldn’t agree to sign somewhere unless he knew that he would be receiving playing time.
The other two (Cameron Payne and Landry Shamet) might not start the year playing over Dillingham, but could provide pressure if Dillingham got off to a slow start. Payne was on the Knicks all season and remained in their rotation (until Game 3 of the conference finals).
Shamet was also a member of the Knicks, who waived him before last season began, but brought him back once he recovered from his injury. While not a traditional point guard, he played about 38% of his minutes at the position in 2022-23 and 2023-24 with the Suns and Wizards, according to Basketball Reference. The sharpshooter has already played for six teams in seven years, but he has always been a player in the rotation throughout his career.