This might be Timberwolves' last chance to trade former 1st-round pick

The Minnesota Timberwolves weren't expecting to be in such dire need of a point guard this season.

They used the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft on Rob Dillingham. He was supposed to be the answer.

That isn't what has happened, though, and now Minnesota will have to decide what it's doing with Dillingham at the trade deadline.

"How the Timberwolves and the rest of the NBA value Dillingham could be one of the more interesting questions before the deadline," ESPN's Kevin Pelton wrote in a new article on Thursday.

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Could he fetch a more sure-thing to help the Wolves at the point?

It's a tricky timeline, because Minnesota would be giving up pretty quick, but there'd also be no guarantee of Dillingham ever figuring it out.

"Nineteen months later, Dillingham has yet to consistently crack coach Chris Finch's rotation, and his production has trended the wrong way this season," Pelton writes. "Dillingham is shooting just 33% on 2-point attempts, worst among players with at least 100 attempts this season. This could be an opportunity for another team to get a recent top-10 pick on a bargain contract -- or the last, best chance for the Wolves to salvage some value from the original trade."

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If the Wolves decide to hold Dillingham, it becomes a last chance for him to prove in the latter stages of this season, and heading into next season, that he belongs.

But this is shaping up to have a less-than-ideal ending for Minnesota unless they can salvage some last-minute value.

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