The Chicago Bulls made a bit of an unexpected splash just days before the start of training camp when they moved Rob Dillingham to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Buddy Hield and an unspecificed amount of cash assets.
The move, at least in the shadow of the Ayo Dosunmu trade, is somewhat disappointing. But given the options this new front office was left with, it makes sense that they would chose the flexibility that Hield's contract provides, especially with an uptick in 3-point shooting, over the looming deadline to pick up Dillingham's team option for 2027-28.
The Hornets, meanwhile, essentially used the deal to move off of a roster spot and Hield's salary entirely. Just a couple days after the trade, Charlotte chose to waive Dillingham, making him a free agent if he clears waivers before the start of the season.
Dillingham still has upside, and he will likely get an opportunity somewhere to prove that. But as a smaller guard in a league that's rapidly moving away from that archetype, Dillingham is going to need to quickly prove himself as a rotation-worthy player—or face a rapid and disappointing end to his NBA career.
Rob Dillingham needs to prove he has upside as a bench guard—but he needs the right fit to do so
Dillingham wasn't entirely unproductive during his short stint in Chicago, and although the Dosunmu trade seemed unbalanced from the very beginning, there was room to believe the Bulls had a future contributor in the rookie-contract guard. Across 30 games with the Bulls, Dillingham averaged 9.6 points, three rebounds, and 2.8 assists while knocking down 30% of his attempts from beyond the arc.
But the fact of the matter is that, in today's NBA, there simply aren't minutes for smaller, defensively liable guards who can't consistently shoot from beyond the arc. If a player needs the ball in their hands to produce, they need to be an elite scorer. Dillingham hasn't shown many flashes of being able to develop into that type of player through his two NBA seasons.
Bryson Graham has preached a vision of defense and athleticism across the roster since he took the helm in Chicago, and Dillingham certainly didn't fit that. He also, apparently, didn't fit the vision they have in Charlotte after the departure of LaMelo Ball via trade this offseason.
This doesn't mean there isn't some upside to be unlocked for Dillingham, especially if he can continue to develop as a passer and hit his 3-point shots more regularly. But whatever team picks him up is going to need to have ample patience to realize that. It likely won't be a playoff-caliber team with a true need off the bench at point guard, unless there's some true desperation somewhere around the league on the eve of the regular season.
If Chicago had chosen to hang onto Dillingham, he would've had a chance to demonstrate that to the league as a whole with some rotational minutes this season. But once you're in the league's no man's land, things can get treacherous. Dillingham will now likely be forced to sign a one-year deal, perhaps even a non-guaranteed one, in order to get his next NBA opportunity.
Those types of players need to quickly prove they can contribute on the margins. Dillingham hasn't shown that to this point in his career, and he'll now be left fighting for another true NBA opportunity before he even enters his third season.
Needless to say, that's not a good place to be for a player whose skill set is actively being eclipsed in today's game.
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