WOJ: Spurs draft Rob Dillingham 8th, then trade him to the TWolves for an unprotected 2031 first

[durden_tyler]

That's a crazy trade for the Spurs. They're going to wait SEVEN years to get some help for Wemby?!

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that 2031 pick will likely be top 5 as KAT, Gobert and Edwards will be long gone and they'll revert to being an NBA doormat organization. It also gives them a valuable asset to use in trades. Once again, Spurs playing Chess. Short-term it's excellent for the Wolves as it gives them a dynamic scorer to take the load off Edwards. Spurs have multiple picks in the 2nd round and this is a very deep draft of role players so they'll get contributors.

The thing is, Wemby wants to win now, not in 7 years. I can’t imagine he likes this move. Edwards isn’t the only one who could be done by 2031….

They can still get there. If they did not see anyone as NBA-ready, this is the smarter way to go about it. Not sure on exact cap space, but if those are veterans on cheap contracts, that's the better move for your "win-now" dreams. i think i like it for the Spurs.

[Young gun 6]

I don't think people understand how poorly rated this draft class is.

Dillingham would've been a pick 15-20 in most ordinary drafts..

[CS707]

Teams have coveted unprotected firsts, it doesn't matter how far into the future they are.

How many front offices have the job security to value a draft pick 7 years in the future though? I don’t think it even has the value of the pick they traded to get it for 3-4 years or more.

Wright shouldn't feel that security. Ignoring off-the-court stuff, he hasn't shown any track record to warrant any assumption that he'll be around in years. Even Buford shouldn't be able to point to a title the team won literally 10 years ago as evidence.

When push comes to shove, if the Spurs only like 7 or fewer guys in this draft, their scouts suck. There should be another player who was worth the pick. One will probably end up cropping up. It was on the Spurs to find such a player -- that's the path they chose. It's horrendous that they think they should be able to keep punting value while mediocre or worse prospects like Wesley and Branham continue to linger in the rotation with zero accountability.

I was talking more about the incoming pick as a future trade asset. If I’m a GM in potential trade talks with SA, I’m just not placing much value on a pick that likely won’t convey in time to improve my own job security.

[Effigy]

How many of today’s GMs will still have their jobs in 2031? And how confident are we that the Spurs gm(or whoever made this move for them) will be one of them?

[sikma42]

Now that I see the lick swap is just top 1 protected…I understand taking that flyer a bit more. Just hope Wemby is on board w it


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[Blame Rasho]

This could be an Otis Thorpe trade in years from now.

[TimDunkin]

How many front offices have the job security to value a draft pick 7 years in the future though? I don’t think it even has the value of the pick they traded to get it for 3-4 years or more.

Wright shouldn't feel that security. Ignoring off-the-court stuff, he hasn't shown any track record to warrant any assumption that he'll be around in years. Even Buford shouldn't be able to point to a title the team won literally 10 years ago as evidence.

When push comes to shove, if the Spurs only like 7 or fewer guys in this draft, their scouts suck. There should be another player who was worth the pick. One will probably end up cropping up. It was on the Spurs to find such a player -- that's the path they chose. It's horrendous that they think they should be able to keep punting value while mediocre or worse prospects like Wesley and Branham continue to linger in the rotation with zero accountability.

I was talking more about the incoming pick as a future trade asset. If I’m a GM in potential trade talks with SA, I’m just not placing much value on a pick that likely won’t convey in time to improve my own job security.

The Spurs have all their own first round picks and other teams' first round picks or swaps in 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2030 (plus MN trade). They can use other picks to upgrade now and save the 2031 for down the road. I'm not a huge fan of the move but I don't hate it.

[Patches Perry]

Good move for the Spurs, classic deferring the asset for greater gain later. Very Presti like.

It could also be good for Minnesota if the Dillingham kid can give them some perimeter scoring punch.

[510TWSS]

wolves gonna wolve what else can u say

[Sealab2024]

Wolves depth chart come playoff time:

McDaniels
Towns
Gobert
Edwards
Conley

Naz
NAW
Rob Dillingham.

[G R E Y]

lmao I'll take it and run:

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[ConSarnit]

Wemby has to be pissed...maybe Kawhi was right

Realistically SAS should not give a sh*t what Wemby thinks about this move. They need to make moves that optimizes this team for 7 years from now when Wemby will be a UFA, not try to squeeze out a few more wins next year (which is highly debatable if Dillingham could even contribute positively next season). Is Wemby going to leave the Spurs 7 years from now because they didn’t draft Lou Williams 2.0 in 2024? The Spurs (or any team with a young star on their rookie deal) need to be patient now because they won’t have that luxury later on.

[Wingy]

I imagine the Spurs value the pick as something they can package up with a bunch of other picks to trade for another star at some point. I doubt they're making the trade to plan for 2031. I really like it as a Wolves fan but I think it's going to be good for both teams.

Yup. A gaggle of Captain Literals in here with zero imagination. It’s going to eventually be part of a package for a star.

[ConSarnit]

Wolves depth chart come playoff time:

McDaniels
Towns
Gobert
Edwards
Conley

Naz
NAW
Rob Dillingham.

Is Dillingham even going to be playable in the playoffs? In all likelihood he’s going to be terrible defensively next season and his offense could take a year or two. He doesn’t scream “NBA ready”

[Sealab2024]

Wolves depth chart come playoff time:

McDaniels
Towns
Gobert
Edwards
Conley

Naz
NAW
Rob Dillingham.

Is Dillingham even going to be playable in the playoffs? In all likelihood he’s going to be terrible defensively next season and his offense could take a year or two. He doesn’t scream “NBA ready”

As a scorer off the bench for 12-15 minutes a night he's absolutely ready. That's not even a question. Defensively he's going to struggle but if there's any team that can handle Rob being a defensive liability it's the TimberWolves. In fact I'd argue they needed to add scoring in place of defense. They were woefully lost for scoring outside of Ant and KAT at times in the playoffs and especially in the WCF.

The playoffs should be interesting but we played Conley and he gets bullied all the time....

[ConSarnit]

I imagine the Spurs value the pick as something they can package up with a bunch of other picks to trade for another star at some point. I doubt they're making the trade to plan for 2031. I really like it as a Wolves fan but I think it's going to be good for both teams.

Yup. A gaggle of Captain Literals in here with zero imagination. It’s going to eventually be part of a package for a star.

Yeah. And the further an unprotected pick is down the road the more value it usually holds due to its uncertain nature. Picks also lose a lot of value after they are made so this pick will retain the “still on the lot” value. There are a variety of ways the Spurs can use this pick to improve their team. The Spurs actually making the pick is probably the least likely outcome.

[GameChannel]

Wemby has to be pissed...maybe Kawhi was right

**** Nephew. Spurs were right about his **** knee but he won't listen. As for Wemby, we are not bending to the wishes of a 20 year old. We will build there right way and with patience. If Wemby can't understand that we need a competitive core for the next 10-12 years with him as a centerpiece instead of making shortsighted lateral moves than he can also leave after 7 years.

[ConSarnit]

Wolves depth chart come playoff time:

McDaniels
Towns
Gobert
Edwards
Conley

Naz
NAW
Rob Dillingham.

Is Dillingham even going to be playable in the playoffs? In all likelihood he’s going to be terrible defensively next season and his offense could take a year or two. He doesn’t scream “NBA ready”

As a scorer off the bench for 12-15 minutes a night he's absolutely ready. That's not even a question. Defensively he's going to struggle but if there's any team that can handle Rob being a defensive liability it's the TimberWolves. In fact I'd argue they needed to add scoring in place of defense. They were woefully lost for scoring outside of Ant and KAT at times in the playoffs and especially in the WCF.

The playoffs should be interesting but we played Conley and he gets bullied all the time....

There are absolutely no guarantees he is ready to contribute as a scorer off the bench. We’ve seen countless pg’s struggle in their rookie season, including many who were rated higher than Dillingham. The guy is 19, is very small (light) and this is a bad draft. The odds against him being a positive contributor next year are low.

[vxmike]

That's a crazy trade for the Spurs. They're going to wait SEVEN years to get some help for Wemby?!

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that 2031 pick will likely be top 5 as KAT, Gobert and Edwards will be long gone and they'll revert to being an NBA doormat organization. It also gives them a valuable asset to use in trades. Once again, Spurs playing Chess. Short-term it's excellent for the Wolves as it gives them a dynamic scorer to take the load off Edwards. Spurs have multiple picks in the 2nd round and this is a very deep draft of role players so they'll get contributors.

I like it for the Spurs assuming they didn’t like anyone at #8. You’re correct in ‘31 Gobert will be gone and KAT will either be gone or making like $90m/yr LOL. The Wolves have already traded away their future and are very likely to be bad in 6-7 years.

The Spurs have loads of future picks and they can do more in FA this summer now. When you’re setting up to a contender you’ll need the flexibility of bringing in guys on-cost controlled rookie contracts or ability to trade picks to acquire elite role players like Caruso as an example.

Spurs playing the long game here. They already have loads of youth plus #4 this year.

[Sealab2024]

Is Dillingham even going to be playable in the playoffs? In all likelihood he’s going to be terrible defensively next season and his offense could take a year or two. He doesn’t scream “NBA ready”

As a scorer off the bench for 12-15 minutes a night he's absolutely ready. That's not even a question. Defensively he's going to struggle but if there's any team that can handle Rob being a defensive liability it's the TimberWolves. In fact I'd argue they needed to add scoring in place of defense. They were woefully lost for scoring outside of Ant and KAT at times in the playoffs and especially in the WCF.

The playoffs should be interesting but we played Conley and he gets bullied all the time....

There are absolutely no guarantees he is ready to contribute as a scorer off the bench. We’ve seen countless pg’s struggle in their rookie season, including many who were rated higher than Dillingham. The guy is 19, is very small (light) and this is a bad draft. The odds against him being a positive contributor next year are low.

Wait and see. They shoulda never given Anthony Edwards Rob Dillingham. That was just asking for trouble.