Timberwolves trade up with Spurs to snare Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham

Timberwolves President Tim Connelly stated just a few days earlier than the draft, he and coach Chris Finch had been watching movie of Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham, and each of them acquired excited as they envisioned what Dillingham might deliver to the Wolves together with his scoring acumen and talent to interrupt down a protection, one thing the Wolves had been missing at instances of their run to the Western Convention finals.

A sobering actuality got here with that pleasure, as Connelly did not suppose there could be a means for the Wolves to get Dillingham within the draft. However the evening broke their means, and with the second apron of the wage cap about to clamp down on how the workforce can reshape their roster, Connelly pounced on one of many solely methods the Wolves had left to make an affect on a contending roster by buying and selling a 2030 decide swap and a 2031 unprotected first spherical decide to the Spurs to seize Dillingham at No. 8. Connelly did not mince phrases after the primary spherical of the draft ended Wednesday evening — the Wolves count on Dillingham to play immediately of their rotation subsequent season.

“He is a man who, from Day 1, goes to have a task and a duty,” Connelly stated. “Actually it is going to be laborious for him. However I do not suppose you are that aggressive within the prime 10 [of the draft] with a man you do not suppose can play immediately.”

Connelly did not should commerce the twenty seventh total decide the Wolves had coming into the evening and with that decide, they grabbed Illinois wing Terrence Shannon Jr., who led the Illini to the Huge Ten match title at Goal Middle in March.

The 6-7 Shannon performed final season whereas awaiting path for rape and sexual assault stemming from an incident in a bar in Kansas in September. A jury acquitted Shannon, who stated the sufferer within the case mistook him for any person else, earlier this month after a week-long trial in Kansas. Connelly stated the group regarded into Shannon’s case and stated it was a “disgrace that it is even a footnote” on Shannon’s profession.

“I believe in the event you actually dig, it is a actually unlucky factor for a child by all accounts … is a good child,” Connelly stated. “Oftentimes, the minute you are accused you are discovered responsible. Fortunately he went the authorized course of. He selected to go to trial as a result of he knew he did nothing improper. I simply suppose it is a disgrace he went by way of that and I believe it is a testomony to who he’s as a child and his capacity to play by way of a extremely powerful distraction.”

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The Wolves had been searching for methods to extend their offensive explosiveness after the Mavericks bottled them up at instances within the playoffs, and Connelly did not suppose the Wolves would discover that sort of prompt affect participant choosing late within the draft. They had been blissful to see Shannon fall to enrich the decide of Dillingham.

“We challenged ourselves this offseason. How can we get extra athletic? How do we’ve got extra shot creation?” Connelly stated. “And to be brutally sincere we did not suppose we might achieved these issues within the draft at 27. The best way the evening broke and the way in which the calls sort of developed, we had been unbelievably excited to get a man that we expect is as proficient as anyone on this draft.”

The transfer to get Dillingham was a loud-throated declaration from the group that the Wolves really feel their probability to win a championship is subsequent season and maybe for just a few years after as they sacrificed extra future draft capital, albeit six and 7 years away. That does not matter to a workforce that feels it’s on the doorstep of profitable a title.

Dillingham will make slightly below $6.3 million subsequent season as a part of the rookie-scale contract, with the entire worth of his contract being value $28.6 million.

The transfer was an enormous dedication from possession, which can pay the luxurious tax for the primary time because the 2019-20 season. In response to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the Wolves’ luxurious tax invoice went up from $56 to $84 million subsequent season with the commerce for Dillingham.

“Possession was implausible,” Connelly stated. “Actually any time you are aggressive there’s monetary realities. We expect we’ve got an opportunity. We’re on the massive desk, so it isn’t time to get scared now.”

With extensions to Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and Karl-Anthony Cities coming onto the books this season, Connelly, who dealt the workforce’s 2025, ’27 and ’29 picks to Utah for Rudy Gobert, swung for the fences with the one little bit of first-round draft capital he needed to deal within the ’31 decide. The Wolves capacity to maneuver their 2032 decide was about to be frozen below the foundations of exceeding the second apron of the luxurious tax. The Wolves rendered that moot by buying and selling the 2031 decide, since groups cannot deal first-round picks in consecutive years anyway.

The Wolves additionally will not have the ability to signal gamers (besides their very own free brokers) to something in addition to minimal contracts as soon as free company opens, per second apron guidelines. So one among their lone avenues for locating an affect participant who may help them now and within the subsequent few years was to make a splash on this draft.

“I do not how we will add this degree of expertise by way of trades except we need to quit core guys,” Connelly stated. “I do not know the way.”

Dillingham, 19, averaged 15.2 factors per recreation whereas capturing 44% from three-point vary and seems part of the workforce’s succession plan as soon as 36-year-old level guard Mike Conley retires. Connelly described Dillingham as a “one [point guard] who’s a bucket.”

Amongst Dillingham’s strengths are his quickness and his capturing; he has a quick launch and could be a good finisher across the rim and is shifty in his capacity to get previous defenders.

“I really feel like I am fast and I can get previous dudes,” Dillingham stated. “… You are taking part in with a bunch of NBA gamers, so gamers cannot actually assist off loads as a result of these are NBA gamers they usually knock down pictures. Getting previous my defender and making performs with my teammates can be means simpler, and if they do not assist, it is only a bucket.”

His weaknesses are on protection, and his skinny body (6-2, 164 kilos) make him weak to assault on that finish of the ground.

Shannon, 23, was a third-team All-America final season, staying on the workforce after suing for his proper to proceed taking part in whereas the authorized course of performed out. He averaged 23 factors per recreation for the Illini, who gained the Huge Ten match at Goal Middle. Shannon performed 5 seasons in faculty, the primary three at Texas Tech.

His strengths embrace his capacity to drive to the rim and use his energy to get there. That energy additionally permits him to get to the free-throw line at a excessive price (8.6 makes an attempt per recreation final season). His weaknesses embrace a low launch level and a shot that may nonetheless use some work in enhancing effectivity (35% profession three-point shooter).

Spherical two of the draft continues Thursday, however the Wolves probably made their most important transfer of the offseason Wednesday evening.

“We weren’t too optimistic when the evening began and we had been fortunate sufficient to acquire a decide and get a child we expect can actually assist us,” Connelly stated.