Rob Dillingham's limited role in the Minnesota Timberwolves' rotation has been well-discussed this season. While Dillingham has mostly still remained in the rotation, he's averaging just 0.1 minutes more in his second year, and with Bones Hyland's emergence, his spot in the rotation is no longer guaranteed. Dillingham has struggled, averaging 10.6 minutes, 3.7 points, 2 assists, and 1.3 rebounds, on 34.9/29.2/71.4 shooting splits.
Two weeks ago, during a game against the Phoenix Suns, Chris Finch turned to Hyland, who poured in 14 points. Since then, Dillingham's spot in the rotation has been on thin ice. However, Mike Conley's four-game injury opened the door for Dillingham to remain in the rotation.
Now that Conley has returned and Hyland's strong play has continued, Dillingham officially could be out of the Wolves' rotation. It wasn't a shocker that Dillingham didn't play during Conley's first game back, but it's certainly worth noting.
Dillingham no longer has a spot in the rotation as Hyland breaks out
Since returning to the rotation two weeks ago (excluding the Golden State Warriors game where he left with an injury), Hyland has averaged 24.2 minutes, 13.2 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, on 48.8/40/85.7 shooting splits. Notably, Dillingham's season high is just 11 points.
There's no denying the similarities between Hyland and Dillingham. Both players are twitchy smaller guards. However, at 25, Hyland is better equipped to contribute real minutes than the 20-year-old Dillingham. The on/off numbers highlight the difference between Hyland and Dillingham. Notably, per Cleaning the Glass, Hyland has a plus-4.1 net on/off swing while Dillingham has a minus-8.3 on/off swing.
The Wolves rank 26th in bench scoring and desperately need some extra perimeter shot creation. Currently, Naz Reid accounts for an absurd 43.7 percent of the Wolves' bench points. Thankfully, though, Hyland is giving the Wolves the exact spark they need.
Hyland has blazing speed with incredible handles, which allows him to generate rim pressure, something the Wolves have lacked from a perimeter player outside of Edwards for years. He is also a knockdown 3-point shooter, especially off the dribble. Having an extra shot creator is something that could change the course of the Wolves' season.
Bones Hyland 2025-26 Bag work pic.twitter.com/wOBWBKe7PR
— Naylor (@Naylor408) December 16, 2025
Bones was re-signed in September and looked to be a pure depth piece. Still, Hyland was a former first-round pick and had a promising start to his career. He even started in the rotation for the Wolves. Given this, Hyland's emergence shouldn't be all that shocking.
Nevertheless, Hyland earning real minutes puts Dillingham's role and future up in the air. You'd hate to give up on a lottery pick whom you traded up to draft a year and a half ago. At the same time, with how much Dillingham has struggled, it's hard to justify real minutes. If the Wolves make a trade for a point guard, Dillingham could be sent elsewhere.
It's an unfortunate situation that doesn't have an easy answer, but Dillingham isn't developing in Minnesota, and Hyland's impressive play only makes things harder for him.