Spurs GM Brian Wright: San Antonio Got 'Fair Value' For Rob Dillingham, No. 8 Pick

The San Antonio Spurs made a puzzling decision to trade away the No. 8 pick — Kentucky's Rob Dillingham — mere minutes after the selection was made, but general manager Brian Wright, breaking his initial silence, explained why.

Jun 26, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Rob Dillingham shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected in the first round by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

San Antonio Spurs general manager Brian Wright declined to comment on the surprising trade that sent Kentucky Wildcats point guard Rob Dillingham to Minnesota at No. 8 overall during his media availability following Round 1 of the 2024 NBA Draft.

After the Spurs had landed their point guard in Stephon Castle — a recent NCAA Tournament champion with the UConn Huskies — it seemed as if they liked what they saw of the draft's early prospects, and that they'd be taking another one just four picks later.

And for about 30 minutes, the general public believed that to be true.

Dillingham was drafted, social media graphics were made in honor of "The Rob Dillingham-Victor Wembanyama era" beginning and it seemed as if the Spurs were going for best available rather than overall team needs. After all, why else would they draft two point guards?

Well, as it turned out, they didn't. The No. 8 pick belonged to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and was acquired just mere minutes after the Spurs made the pick. Dillingham was headed North for a 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap.

Jun 26, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Rob Dillingham arrives before the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

When asked about the surprising move, Spurs general manager Brian Wright initially declined to comment. His reasoning? The pick "hadn't yet been ratified" by the NBA.

With no clarification, some speculated that San Antonio was looking to make a deal for a veteran with the extra pick they received, while others believed that it was just another way to signal that they were being patient. Dillingham was perceived as one of the big gets of the draft, so for it to send him away for picks seven years down the road was puzzling.

But Wright offered an explanation, albeit short and to-the-point.

“We felt that the package we got was one that made sense," Wright explained. "It was fair value."

"Obviously, that’s an 11-year-old right now," he added jokingly. "But what you can with that could potentially have impact.”

Now, the Spurs possess a plethora of future first and second-round picks, which they could still use in a deal for a veteran star this offseason. The simple implication is that those picks are exactly what they sound like: future players. The more complex route, however, has the Spurs using them in a deal this offseason or at the trade deadline for a veteran star. That's been thrown around quite a lot.

How the young team will proceed remains to be seen, but if there is one thing that's been made clear, it's that its plans aren't going to be let on. Not many saw the trade coming in the first place, and certainly not many can predict who the Spurs might target if they do decide to trade for a star.

"We always have to regroup after this time to make sure we have it all right," Wright said. "But the group has done a really good job of identifying opportunities that allow us to build a team."

Maybe that's a good thing. Letting "the group" handle moves behind the scenes without much being disclosed. No distractions. That's the Spurs' way.

Though, as time has also shown, so is being patient. The next big star to wear a Spurs jersey could just as easily be 13 years old right now.

Or perhaps, as Wright joked, 11.