Why This Season Could Be Last Chance for Bulls Guard Rob Dillingham

It's not often that a top-10 draft pick finds himself unplayable and fighting for his NBA life just two seasons into his career, but that's exactly where Chicago Bulls guard Rob Dillingham is.

It's true that Dillingham never really got a fair shot to prove himself in Minnesota. The raw, undersized shooter, who needed time to develop, was thrust into a Timberwolves lineup that aimed to reach the NBA Finals. But it can't be ignored that Dillingham did not capitalize on the limited playing time he was given.

At only 21 years old, the former No. 8 overall selection in 2024 was traded to the Bulls last season — along with Leonard Miller and picks in exchange for Ayo Dosunmu — and Chicago may be the last chance for Dillingham to reignite his NBA career.

However, there are several obstacles standing in his way, most notably, his fit next to point guard Josh Giddey.

The Bulls are financially tied to Giddey through 2029, thanks to a four-year, $100 million contract the team inked him to last offseason. Giddey played a career-high 32.1 minutes per game last year, so Dillingham must either be able to adapt his skill set to play next to Chicago's long-term primary ball-handler or commit to being the Bulls' backup point guard.

Although Giddey's three-point shooting has improved to a respectable 37.1% over two years in Chicago — he shot 31.0% in three years with the Oklahoma City Thunder — the Bulls still need a capable wing shooter to play next to Giddey to give him more space on drives. That's why Bryson Graham went out and signed Norman Powell, who is a career 39.6% shooter from deep.

Through two seasons, Dillingham's three-point efficiency has not matched the 44.4% clip (4.5 attempts per game) that he recorded at Kentucky. He was a sub-par 34.3% on 1.3 attempts per game in Minnesota, and upon being traded to Chicago, Dillingham shot 30.0% on 3.3 attempts a game.

Granted, he managed to raise his accuracy to 35.5% on over four attempts per game in April, but the seven-game sample size amidst a lost Bulls season does not provide a truly meaningful data point.

Alongside Giddey, Dillingham must be able to provide one of two things: shooting or defense. Through 114 career NBA games, we've yet to see any proof that Dillingham can do either.

That moves Dillingham to the bench unit, but the path to playing time is crowded there as well. Tre Jones is a steady hand who should minimize turnovers on offense, once again putting Dillingham in a similar off-ball position. That sets up a competition between him and No. 15 overall pick Dailyn Swain, who, unlike Dillingham, was drafted by Graham and the current front office. Even if Dillingham is a better player at first, Graham and the Bulls are more heavily invested in Swain's development.

At best, Dillingham is buried as the third-best point guard or third-best shooting guard on Chicago's depth chart. That could change if Powell and/or Jones — who are both on expiring 1-and-1 contracts — are traded at the midseason deadline.

Who knows? Maybe Dillingham, who averaged a career-best 9.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 0.9 steals per game over 30 outings in Chicago last season, finds a way to sustain his late-year confidence and become a more consistent player on both ends of the floor. An improvement like that from the 21-year-old would certainly benefit the Bulls, who are all-in on rebuilding around young talent.

It's far more likely that Dillingham ends up at the end of the bench, but on a team with so much youth and inexperience, anything is possible.