The Minnesota Timberwolves tonight announced the team has acquired the draft rights to the eighth overall pick, guard Rob Dillingham from the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for future draft picks.
Dillingham, a 6-1 guard, averaged 15.2 points on 47.5% shooting, including 44.4% from three, 2.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game as a freshman at the University of Kentucky. He earned 2023-24 SEC Sixth Man of the Year honors and was named to the 2023-24 All-SEC Second Team as well as to the 2023-24 All-SEC Freshman Team. His 44.4% from three-point range as a Kentucky freshman was the fourth-best mark in the SEC among players who made at least 2.0 threes per game.
He appeared in 32 games (one start) for Kentucky last season, scoring in double-figures 27 times, including eight games with 20+ points. Dillingham led the Wildcats in scoring eight times and in assists on 12 occasions. His best game of the season came against fifth ranked Tennessee on Feb. 3 when he finished with a career-high 35 points on 14-of-20 shooting, including 6-of-8 from deep and four assists. Following his top performance of last season, Dillingham earned both SEC Freshman of the Week and AP National Player of the Week honors.
Prior to his lone season at Kentucky, the Hickory, N.C. native spent the 2022-23 season with Overtime Elite where he averaged 14.7 points, 4.9 assists and 2.5 steals per game. Before his time with Overtime Elite, Dillingham was named the Charlotte Observer High School Basketball Player of the Year in 2020-21.
The Minnesota Timberwolves also selected guard Terrance Shannon Jr. with the 27th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft presented by State Farm.
Shannon Jr., 6-6, was named a 2023-24 AP All-America Third Team selection as a fifth-year senior at the University of Illinois where he ranked third in the country in scoring (23.0 ppg). After helping Illinois reach its first Elite Eight since 2005, he was named to the 2024 NCAA Tournament All-East Region Team. In 32 games at Illinois last season, Shannon Jr. averaged 23.0 points on 47.5% shooting, 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.
Additionally, Shannon Jr. was named to the 2023-24 NCAA All-Region Team, the 2024 Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player and broke the Illinois single-season scoring record, finishing with 736 points. In two seasons at Illinois, he appeared in 63 games (61 starts), totaling 1,270 points, 272 rebounds and 160 assists.
Prior to his time at Illinois, Shannon Jr. spent three years at Texas Tech, playing in 83 career games, totaling 915 points, 223 rebounds, 120 assists and 80 steals.
This year marked the first time in team history the Wolves entered the draft with the 27th overall pick. Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert was selected with the 27th overall pick by the Denver Nuggets in 2013.
(info courtesy of Timberwolves)
