Hold onto your hats, Big Blue Nation. Rob Dillingham’s NBA journey just took more twists and turns than a Kentucky backroad.
The electric guard, fresh off lighting up Rupp Arena, heard his name called eighth overall by the San Antonio Spurs in Wednesday night’s draft. But before the ink could dry on his Spurs cap, Dillingham was on the move again, shipped off to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a draft night deal.
“It’s been a crazy night,” Dillingham told the Courier Journal. “From Lexington to San Antonio to Minnesota in the blink of an eye. But I’m ready for whatever comes next.”
Dillingham joins fellow Cat Reed Sheppard in the first-round club, marking the end of the John Calipari era with a bang. The 6-foot-1 dynamo (and that might be generous) proved size isn’t everything, averaging 15.2 points per game mostly off the bench for UK.
NBA scouts drooled over Dillingham’s lightning-quick first step and dead-eye shooting. He canned 44.4% of his threes, good for fifth all-time at Kentucky. But it’s not all roses – some worry his slight frame might get pushed around in the big leagues.
“Rob’s got that Lou Williams spark plug vibe,” an NBA scout told us. “He could be instant offense off the bench, or if he bulks up, maybe the next Trae Young. Sky’s the limit with his skills.”
Dillingham’s draft stock was all over the map coming out of high school, but he silenced doubters with a stellar freshman campaign. Now he’s taking his talents to the Land of 10,000 Lakes, ready to prove he can hang with the NBA’s best.
For Kentucky fans, it’s bittersweet. Dillingham’s departure marks the end of an era, but his draft night success is just another feather in the cap of UK’s NBA factory. As for Rob? He’s just getting started. Minnesota, you’ve got a live one on your hands.
