It isn't over till it's over, but for the Minnesota Timberwolves, time may be running out for guard Rob Dillingham. Dillingham was the Wolves' big gamble last summer, with them trading an unprotected pick swap and a top-1 protected 2031 first to the San Antonio Spurs for Dillingham's draft rights after he was selected eighth overall in the 2024 NBA Draft.
The hope was that he would quickly emerge as a starting-caliber point guard. Instead, in his second season, he has looked as bad as he did as a rookie, averaging just 4.7 points per game on 37/20/72 shooting splits.
What's so baffling is that while there were major concerns about his height, or lack thereof, at just 6'0, he was a terrific finisher in college and an excellent shooter. In the NBA, he's been an awful finisher and a terrible 3-point shooter.
Rob Dillingham's struggles are hurting the Minnesota Timberwolves
Having an undersized guard struggle to finish in the paint against much taller players isn't unheard of, though Dillingham is a good athlete and has more craftiness than most. What is far more concerning is that he shot 44% on 4.5 threes per game at Kentucky but is currently shooting 20% this season.
That isn't just a small sample size; he also shot poorly last season and wasn't exactly lights out in NBA Summer League. With Dillingham looking more and more like a draft bust, the Timberwolves are without a paddle at point guard.
The Timberwolves have been playing more without a traditional point guard this season, with Anthony Edwards or Julius Randle serving as the defacto point guard at times. That is a reasonable alternative to playing Mike Conley or Dillingham more, but they really should have a starting-caliber point guard to make the lives of their stars much easier.
The Wolves must target a star point guard at the trade deadline
If Dillingham doesn't cut it, then Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young or Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant would be intriguing trade targets that would give them a massive upgrade at their weakest position.
The Wolves would have to potentially sacrifice Randle in either deal. Then again, they could simply promote former Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid to the starting lineup following a potential blockbuster deal. A potential trade could see them ship out Randle and Donte Divincenzo for Young or even Morant.
Acquiring either would be an admission that their Dillingham gamble didn't pay off, which should be obvious by now. To his credit, Dillingham is still only 21 years old and has time to figure things out, but for a contender such as the Timberwolves, they likely can't afford to wait and hope that he will.