NBA Draft: Timberwolves trade with Spurs for No. 8 pick Rob Dillingham

Fresh off a breakout season, the Minnesota Timberwolves traded into the lottery Wednesday for Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham in exchange for draft picks years down the road.

Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Minnesota dealt a 2031 unprotected first-round pick and agreed to a protected 2030 pick swap for the rights to Dillingham, whom the Spurs selected with the No. 8 pick. The pick was the second of the night for the Spurs, who selected UConn guard Stephon Castle at No. 4.

Dillingham joins a Timberwolves team that finished with the third-best record in the Western Conference then defeated the reigning champion Denver Nuggets in the playoffs en route to the conference finals.

A 6-2 guard who can shoot from range and attack the basket, Dillingham will provide Minnesota with backcourt scoring punch alongside All-Star Anthony Edwards. Dillingham, 19, averaged 15.2 points, 3.9 assists, 2.9 rebounds and a steal while shooting 47.5% from the floor and 44.4% from 3-point distance in his lone season at Kentucky.

The biggest knock on his game is his defense, which could stand out on a team that built its identity on defense last season. He’ll join a backcourt that also features respected veteran point guard Mike Conley, who signed a two-year $20.1 million extension in February through the 2025-26 season.