Tim Connelly raves about Rob Dillingham, gives update on Wolves free agency

“We were looking for an heir apparent to Mike [Connelly Jr.], we thought it was really important to bring that guy in while Mike was still at the top of his game.

Mar 6, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Rob Dillingham (0) drives to the basket during the second half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports / Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

The Wolves surprised many when they emerged from the NBA Draft as the biggest winner. For a team fresh off a Western Conference appearance, the draft presented one of the few remaining avenues to add to the squad, due to new rules regarding the league’s salary cap.

“The new rules limit aggression,” said Minnesota’s President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly in an interview on KFXN-FM Monday.

Minnesota entered the offseason with a salary cap that puts them in the ‘second apron,’ which severely limits their ability to add players to their roster. “The goal was not to impact our core,” continued Connelly when discussing the team’s draft night trades. “We were hopeful we could potentially get up in that area.”

The Wolves began the draft with the No. 27 pick. Shortly into the draft, Minnesota pulled off a trade that saw them land Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham. More importantly, the Wolves didn’t have to give up their No. 27 pick and were able to land Illinois guard Terrance Shannon Jr.

“We didn’t have anything in place but we thought it was a strong point guard draft. We thought, perhaps, there’s a couple chances for us to kind of get up and take one of the point guards we really liked,” said Connelly. “We were looking for an heir apparent to Mike [Connelly Jr.], we thought it was really important to bring that guy in while Mike was still at the top of his game.”

Throughout the season, Minnesota relied heavily on Mike Conley, but they lacked a reliable backup when the veteran needed a rest. The Wolves look to have Dillingham fulfill that role while learning from Conley.

"The aggression with the Rob pick, he's got to play,” said Connelly when discussing what realistic expectations are for the rookie this season. “What's great about [Chris Finch] is that you don't make a move like this without him being fully on board. We sat in his office and watched all these guys. And we know, when you make that commitment, there's going to be some rough nights. It's inevitable. We're hopeful the rough nights are less and less common as the season progresses. And again, it's not going to be handed to him. We're a team based, I think, we're trying to base our core on competitiveness and toughness."

Dillingham averaged 15.2 points and 3.9 assists per game for the Wildcats last season. Scouting reports knocked his size (6-foot-2, 170-pounds) but praised his ability to score in bunches.

“We were trying to find another guy that could get his own. And not just create for themselves but for others,” Connelly said. “So, he's a blur with the ball, got big time handle - ball on a string handle. He can score off the bounce, at the rim despite him being slight... he's a fearless kid.  I think when you dig deeper, he's a really unselfish player.

"The combination of elite speed, tough shot-making and the playmaking. I think the playmaking was something that kept jumping out to us. ... We thought his ability to play make was what probably most stood out, relative to the arch-type that he generally represents."

Connelly admitted the move to trade up in the draft happened “rather quickly” but was another show of commitment from the ownership group. According to ESPN NBA insider Bobby Marks, the Timberwolves’ luxury tax bill jumped from $56 million to $84 million by taking Dillingham with the eighth overall pick.

“I think, the success that we were lucky enough to enjoy this year ... I think there's an overall sense of excitement and commitment that our team is good enough to make a run. And I think we'll consistently make decisions to allow to keep making runs,” responded Connelly when asked about the commitment from an in-flux Wolves ownership group.

While the final decision on Dillingham’s playing time will be up to Finch, Connelly noted that it’s “fair to say when you draft a guy in the top 10, and we're trying to take the next steps, there is a path for him to play, if he seizes it.”

With the draft come and gone, the NBA world shifted immediately into free agency rumors and speculation. Due to being in the second apron, the Wolves are limited in what they’re able to do outside of retaining their own players, and even that has been difficult.

The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski reported Monday, that “it seems like the Wolves and Kyle Anderson could be going their separate ways.” Anderson averaged 6.4 points, 4.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game for the Wolves last season. He has been a key contributor off the bench each of the past seasons for Minnesota.

"We love Kyle and Kyle loves us,” said Connelly when asked about where things stand with Anderson. “Certainly the market will have a big impact on it. Kyle has been a super impactful contributor. Just talked to him yesterday and he's going to, obviously, see what's out there.  We would love to bring him back if it makes sense to both Kyle and the team."

A flurry of moves throughout the night Sunday and into the day Monday has seen a number of Western Conference foes bulk up and seemingly get better heading into the 2024-25 season.

"Even prior to the offseason I thought it was going to be harder,” Connelly said of the impact from offseason movement, so far. “Memphis was on the wrong end of the injury bug, they'll be an excellent team. [Victor] Wembanyama is as good of a young player as I've ever seen, so there will be a progression there rapidly because he's that good. So, we expected some teams to step up, some teams to maybe regress a bit. If what we read is true, then obviously a couple of these teams have become much better."