Rob Dillingham selected in 2024 NBA Draft, traded to new team
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Rob Dillingham had his name called by the San Antonio Spurs. Then he learned he will be playing professional basketball elsewhere.
The Spurs drafted Dillingham with the No. 8 overall pick in Wednesday’s Round 1 of the 2024 NBA Draft. He wore a San Antonio cap during his ESPN interview, but his time as a Spur was extremely brief.
The basketball world learned via a Woj bomb that Dillingham will begin his professional career with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Minnesota has traded for the eighth pick and Rob Dillingham, source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 27, 2024
The trade to Minnesota pairs Dillingham with superstar Anthony Edwards, a former Georgia standout, as well as former Wildcat Karl-Anthony Towns.
Dillingham turned pro after his freshman season. He played 745 minutes over 32 games in his season as a Wildcat.
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Like fellow former Wildcat Reed Sheppard, the No. 3 overall pick in Wednesday’s draft, Dillingham was not a regular starter. He made just 1 start in his time at UK.
A standout bench contributor, Dillingham averaged 15.2 points, 3.9 assists and 1.0 steals per game in 2023-24. He shot 47.5% from the field and 44.4% from 3-point range, draining 64 triples for John Calipari’s Cats.
Playing on a loaded roster, Dillingham led UK in scoring eight times and was the assists leader in 12 games.
Highs for Dillingham in blue and white include his 35-point game against Tennessee on Feb. 3. He made a season-high 14 field goals, including 6 3-pointers, in the game. The parade of points earned him SEC Freshman of the Week and AP National Player of the Week recognition.
He grabbed 6 rebounds, a season-high, in Kentucky’s upset NCAA Tournament loss to Oakland. He logged 9 assists in a nonconference contest against Miami.
Dillingham’s Kentucky honors include SEC Sixth Man of the Year as well as selections to the All-SEC Second Team and All-SEC Freshman Team.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaign of Fred Taylor.
