The Minnesota Timberwolves are betting a lot (financially) on new guard Rob Dillingham.
Minnesota acquired the rights to the ex-Kentucky star Dillingham in a draft-night trade with the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday. The Spurs had taken Dillingham with the No. 8 overall pick but quickly flipped him to the Wolves for a 2031 unprotected first-rounder and a protected 2030 pick swap.
Bobby Marks of ESPN notes that Minnesota’s luxury tax bill now jumps by nearly $30 million (from $56 million to $84 million) as a result of the Dillingham addition.
Per the NBA rookie scale, Dillingham, as the No. 8 overall pick, is making about $6 million annually over the course of his four-year rookie contract. Though that might seem like a blip on the radar, the Timberwolves are a second-apron luxury tax team with over $190 million in salary already on the books for the 2024-25 season (currently the second-highest in the NBA behind only the Phoenix Suns).
Because teams with tax bills that high are very seldom in position to add a top-ten lottery choice, Minnesota has a particularly rare situation on their hands with the Dillingham acquisition. The dynamic 19-year-old scorer and playmaker looks like the right move for them though, especially with current starting point guard Mike Conley turning 37 later this year. But Dillingham’s arrival also means the Wolves will have to be very wise financially from here, which could potentially mean some roster shake-ups like this rumored one.
