As soon as he got off the plane in Chicago, Rob Dillingham became one of the Bulls' most tantalizing prospects -- and a potential franchise cornerstone.
The Bulls' roster underwent a dramatic makeover at the trade deadline, and Dillingham arrived in the Windy City via the Minnesota Timberwolves as the centerpiece of the Ayo Dosunmu deal.
Chicago's Executive VP of Basketball Operations, Arturas Karnisovas, made seven moves before the deadline. He shipped out franchise mainstays like Dosunmu, Coby White and Nikola Vucevic. He acquired a massive number of second-round draft picks and a glut of guards, including Anfernee Simons, Jaden Ivey, Collin Sexton and Dillingham.
But Karnisovas didn't collect any asset -- player or pick -- with Dillingham's upside.
The Bulls added a franchise cornerstone at the trade deadline
The Timberwolves traded an unprotected 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 top-1 protected pick swap to the Spurs for the No. 8 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, which it used to select Dillingham.
It was a high price to pay -- especially considering San Antonio used that 2031 pick to acquire De'Aaron Fox. But Minnesota was (and still is) searching for a long-term upgrade over Mike Conley, and it viewed Dillingham as the answer, despite his small stature at 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds.
There were plenty of intriguing aspects to the then-19-year-old's game after a one-and-done season at the University of Kentucky; that skill set hasn't left.
Dillingham is a microwave scorer from all three levels. He has an electric first step and elite body control, allowing him to slither to the rim, where he's a creative finisher. He can put defenders on skates with his tight handles and has a quick release on his jumper.
He averaged 15.2 points on 44.4 percent shooting from three (4.4 attempts per game) in 23.3 minutes per game off the bench for the Wildcats. He's a combo guard in the mold of White, only smaller and more explosive.
The Bulls can give Dillingham a fresh start
Without knowing the entire situation, it doesn't seem like Dillingham got a fair shot in Minnesota, which is understandable. The Timberwolves are a win-now team with little patience to develop a young point guard.
Dillingham's exit after only 84 games in Minnesota is more of a black mark on the team's front office than on the player.
The Overtime Elite product has the combination of burst, shot creation and scoring skills that would fit snugly with Chicago's scheme, predicated on playing with tempo and punishing opponents in transition.
And he'll certainly get more playing time and opportunities to progress with the Bulls than he did in Minnesota.
Karnisovas made seven trades. He brought in seven players and eight draft picks. But Dillingham's development will play a crucial role in creating either a playoff contender in Chicago or just another mediocre roster.