Latest news with #RobDillingham
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rob Dillingham Addresses ‘Chance' With Timberwolves for Playing Time
Rob Dillingham Addresses 'Chance' With Timberwolves for Playing Time originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Minnesota Timberwolves have a talented roster of young players looking to make their case this summer for roles with the team. They'll include this year's first-round draft pick, Joan Beringer, and multiple draft picks from last year. Advertisement Second-year guards Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr. are also featured on the squad, and both appeared on the court for the Wolves' main roster last season in just over 10.5 minutes per game. The future looks bright if these guards continue on an upward trajectory. Fans saw Shannon Jr. explode with a 25-point scoring outburst in February against the Los Angeles Lakers. Dillingham has also shown flashes of brilliance, including a 19-point, eight-assist performance against the Utah Jazz in January. Many Timberwolves fans believe he could replace aging point guard Mike Conley as the team seeks to further contend in the Western Conference. Minnesota Timberwolves guard Rob Dillingham (4).Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images However, many individuals want to see Dillingham receive more playing time from head coach Chris Finch this season. That could be on the way, but first, he'll get to show any improvements or glaring weaknesses in a bit of an audition with some of the team's other young players in Las Vegas. Advertisement KSTP 5 Eyewitness News' Alec Ausmus shared a clip featuring Dillingham and Shannon Jr. discussing their opportunities for the team's main roster as they prepare for the NBA 2K26 Summer League. "I had the same mindset last year, and it's the same mindset this year. You can't really look at it like that because it might not go your way. So, I've been working hard, and I feel like obviously I do deserve, or not deserve, but I do feel like a chance is coming. It's up to me to make the most of it," Dillingham told reporters. Shannon Jr., who was Minnesota's No. 27 pick last year, said he's "working as hard" as he can to continue to prove himself to the coaching staff and has thought about an opportunity possibly being on the line. Advertisement The Timberwolves' front office believed in Dillingham enough to trade for him at last year's NBA Draft, making a deal with the San Antonio Spurs for their No. 8 pick. In his first season with Minnesota, he averaged 4.5 points, two assists, and a rebound per game. He also averaged 10.5 minutes of playing time per game. With more time on the court, many fans believe he'll emerge as a necessary piece of the Wolves' puzzle. Some feel that 37-year-old guard Mike Conley Jr. simply won't provide the solution to pushing past younger, more talented teams in the West, such as the Oklahoma City Thunder, and it's time for a change. Dillingham and Shannon Jr. will participate in the upcoming Summer League games in Las Vegas, beginning on Thursday, July 10. Advertisement Related: Timberwolves fans react to NBA 2K26 Summer League roster missing key player Related: Damian Lillard Joining Timberwolves After Bucks Release Would Be a Problem This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Big Names Highlight Minnesota Timberwolves Summer League Roster
The NBA Draft is in the rearview mirror and the Minnesota Timberwolves grabbed a pair of 18-year-old big men. Both Rocco Zikarski and Joan Beringer are expected in Las Vegas to play in the NBA Summer League. Those two youngsters aren't the only big names to represent the Timberwolves this summer. Minnesota needs Rob Dillingham to take serious steps forward this offseason and he'll be given the chance to showcase where he's at. Fellow first round pick Terrence Shannon Jr. will join him. Advertisement Second year talent make MN Timberwolves Summer League roster Rob Dillingham looked like he needed much more development than Terrence Shannon Jr. did last season as rookies in the NBA. Both of them are going to get run for the Minnesota Timberwolves during the Summer League circuit in Las Vegas. The roster was made public on Thursday. Related Headlines Name Position Experience Amari Bailey Guard 1 year Joan Beringer Center Rookie Martez Brown Forward Rookie Jamal Cain Forward 3 years Jaylen Clark Guard 1 year Rob Dillingham Guard 1 year Nojel Eastern Guard Rookie Jesse Edwards Center 1 year CJ Fulton Guard Rookie Leonard Miller Forward 3 years Tristen Newton Guard 1 year Babacar Sane Forward Rookie Terrence Shannon Jr. Guard 1 year Des Watson Guard Rookie The most notable names on the roster outside of the two recent draft picks include Dillingham, Shannon Jr., Miller, and Clark. Each of them got run during different parts of the Minnesota Timberwolves regular season last year. Shannon Jr. has arguably already outgrown the constraints of the Summer League. He played in 32 games last season for Minnesota and averaged 10.6 minutes per game. He scored just 4.3 points per game, but was a bright spot when the training wheels came off. The Timberwolves saw Shannon Jr. record a career-high 25 points against the Los Angeles Lakers in February, and he poured in double-digits on five separate occasions. With the departure of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Shannon Jr. looks like a prime candidate to pick up extra minutes in the rotation. Advertisement It will be interesting to see how both Brenginer and Zikarski fare stateside. The former is expected to join Minnesota this season and could push for minutes as a backup center. The latter is expected to stay in Australia and continue to develop until the Timberwolves need his services. Related: ESPN Expert Crowns Wolves as 1st Round NBA Draft Winner Dillingham showed flashes that made him a lottery pick last season. Unfortunately they didn't translate to consistent production at the NBA level and he was often riding the pine. The Minnesota Timberwolves desperately need a facilitator to run the offense and contribute behind Mike Conley. Dillingham's opportunity is right in front of him. The NBA Summer League starts on July 10 and the championship game is scheduled for July 20th. Minnesota kicks off their practices on Monday July 7th and will be led by assistant coach Kevin Hanson. Advertisement Related Headlines
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NBA Mock Draft Predicts Timberwolves Will Pick UConn's Liam McNeeley
NBA Mock Draft Predicts Timberwolves Will Pick UConn's Liam McNeeley originally appeared on Athlon Sports. As the 2025 NBA Draft approaches, the Minnesota Timberwolves continue to evaluate which prospect they'll add to the roster. Their decision-making also includes consideration of how that roster might change via trades and free agency. Advertisement Rumors swirled about Kevin Durant getting traded to the Timberwolves, but those were recently shut down with reports KD wasn't interested in playing for them. Meanwhile, the team could still make a trade or two. Their young backup guard, Rob Dillingham, center Rudy Gobert, and Donte DiVincenzo were all mentioned as possible trade assets. The Wolves could also lose roster members via free agency. Naz Reid is one individual mentioned as possibly exploring his options. Julius Randle seems less likely to leave right now. With the NBA Draft, the Timberwolves hold the No. 17 pick, giving them another trade asset. However, they may opt to keep the pick and gamble on finding a gem for their roster. University of Connecticut forward Liam McNeeley drives to the Donnan-Imagn Images According to a recent NBA Mock Draft from SI's Nick Crain, University of Connecticut's Liam McNeeley will be available at No. 17, allowing Minnesota to select him. Advertisement McNeeley was a highly-touted five-star recruit who played high school ball alongside Cooper Flagg, among other first-rounders this year. In his freshman campaign at UConn, he averaged 14.5 points, six rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. The 6-foot-7 forward was an essential part of UConn's season and postseason, which featured a near-run to the NCAA Final Four under Dan Hurley. He showed a variety of skills on the court, including potential for high-scoring games, with a 38-point outburst in UConn's win against Creighton in February. While SI's mock draft displayed McNeeley at No. 17, the other predictions for his draft spot differ vastly. A mock draft from Yahoo! Sports' Kevin O'Connor earlier this week suggested McNeeley might go as high as the No. 11 pick for the Portland Trailblazers. Advertisement Other drafts show the UConn Huskies star dropping to No. 20 for the Miami Heat or No. 23 where the Boston Celtics could take him. The 19-year-old ranks as the sixth-best small forward available in the draft, per They tout McNeeley as 'one of the most polished and dependable offensive wings' in the draft, and a great shooter with deep range. The knocks against him could be "speed and burst," possibly raising concerns about his future upside. However, contends McNeeley could provide a solid shooter and long-term floor spacer for a team's rotation. The first round of the 2025 NBA Draft is on Wednesday, June 25 from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Other potential picks that the Timberwolves could take at No. 17 include BYU's Egor Denim or Georgia's Asa Newell, who is McNeeley's former high school teammate. Related: NBA Mock Draft Sees Timberwolves Pick Forward Who Compared Himself to Chris Bosh This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
30-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Nets may be able to pull off 2025 NBA Draft trade with the Rockets
Nets may be able to pull off 2025 NBA Draft trade with the Rockets The Brooklyn Nets have a number of matters to attend to ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft in June, especially with them having four picks in the first round. Brooklyn did not get the result they were hoping for in the Lottery as they ended up with the eighth overall pick, but it seems like there may be an opportunity for them to get another bite at the Lottery apple. Brian Lewis of the New York Post reported earlier this month that the prevailing belief from other teams is that the Nets could be trying to acquire another Lottery pick in this Draft. Lewis' reporting seemingly confirmed what NBA insider Jake Fischer reported in that Brooklyn was assumed to be a team looking to move up while Lewis left the door open for the Nets to potentially use forward Cam Johnson to get something else in the Draft. "So league sources expect the Rockets to look into trading this pick, whether it's a trade way up, a trade out for a star or a trade out for a group of future picks similar to what the Spurs received from the Timberwolves when Minnesota moved up for Rob Dillingham last year," Yahoo! Sports' Kevin O'Conner reported during his latest mock draft article. For those who need a refresher, the Minnesota Timberwolves traded first-round picks in 2030 and 2031 to the San Antonio Spurs on the night of the Draft in exchange for the right to draft Rob Dillingham with the eighth overall pick. If the Rockets were looking to trade back in the Draft or out of it completely, the Nets have the 19th, 26th, and 27th overall picks in this draft along with plenty of first-round picks to use in the next few years. While O'Connor's report could give Brooklyn the hope that they can acquire another first-round pick in the Lottery, it's fair to note that Houston could do a number of things with the 10th overall pick, including trading up in the draft or using it to get Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. Ironically, the last time the Nets and the Rockets did business together, it involved swapping picks to help each franchise get what they wanted.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Report: Nets regarded as team to trade up in 2025 NBA Draft
The Brooklyn Nets came away from Monday's 2025 NBA Draft Lottery with the disappointing result of the eighth overall pick in the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft. Brooklyn went into the event with the knowledge that the odds weren't in their favor, but with the festivities unfolding like they did, the Nets could be looking for a way to overcome the setback. Following the events of Monday's Lottery, the Nets have been regarded as one of the teams that could look to move up in the upcoming Draft, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer on Tuesday, via The Stein Line. Assuming that Brooklyn is looking to get a better draft pick, they do have some extra draft capital to work with to possibly entice one of the teams ahead of them into trading back. Advertisement The teams ahead of the Nets in the Draft order are the Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards, and New Orleans Pelicans. Time will tell if any of these teams would be willing to trade back in the Draft, especially with teams like the Hornets, Jazz, and Wizards being in the same position as Brooklyn in terms of needing as much talent as possible. The good news is that the NBA has a history of draft picks being traded considering that in the 2024 NBA Draft as six players who were drafted in the first round were the result of trades. Depending on how far the Nets want to move up in the Draft, that could change the price of what Brooklyn would have to give up in order to make their dream come true if their intent is to trade up. For example, the Minnesota Timberwolves traded two first-round picks, a 2030 pick swap and a 2031 first-round pick, to the Spurs for guard Rob Dillingham, who was taken with the eighth overall pick in the Draft. After what the Mavericks went through this season with the Luka Doncic trade to the Los Angeles Lakers, they are probably not keen on trading Duke forward Cooper Flagg. However, San Antonio or Philadelphia could be looking to make some moves. This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Report: Nets regarded as team to trade up in 2025 NBA Draft
