The Knicks’ G-League pipeline in Westchester got another notable name on Wednesday, with former lottery pick Rob Dillingham clearing waivers and signing into the NBA G-League. Jake Fischer reported that Dillingham is expected to join the Westchester Knicks.
It’s another swing by New York on a young player with real upside, and Dillingham fits the mold. The 21-year-old guard entered the league as the No. 8 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft after a strong freshman season at Kentucky, where he was John Calipari’s sixth man. Minnesota traded up to get him, and San Antonio came away with a 2030 first-round pick swap and an unprotected first-round pick in 2031.
The Timberwolves’ patience didn’t last long. Dillingham was used sparingly, and the frustration around his role only grew as Chris Finch kept him on the bench often. Minnesota eventually moved on from him midway through his second season, including him in the deal that brought in Ayo Dosunmu at the trade deadline.
His next stop in Chicago finally gave him a real runway. Over 30 games with the Bulls, Dillingham averaged 21.5 minutes and showed more of what made him such a coveted prospect in the first place. But the Bulls changed direction late in the 2026 offseason, sending him to the Charlotte Hornets, who waived him shortly after and opened the door to this G-League move.
The numbers from his Bulls stint show both the promise and the rough edges. Dillingham shot 30% from three and 42.8% overall while averaging 9.6 points, 2.8 assists and 2.1 turnovers per game before right wrist surgery ended his season.
Westchester is getting a gifted 21-year-old, but one with obvious issues to clean up. At 6-foot-3 and 174 pounds, Dillingham is going to be undersized almost every night, and defense is likely never going to be his calling card. Still, some of the problems in his game can be addressed if he sharpens the parts he can control.
Jalen Brunson has already spent years forcing the league to rethink how much height matters, but he’s the outlier. Dillingham has a long way to go before he gets anywhere near that level.
New York’s interest in this kind of move has been clear. The Knicks have been using the G-League to reshape their young talent pool, and they’ve done it with players other teams have already moved off of.
Kevin McCullar Jr., part of their championship-winning roster, was waived just after the regular season began so the team could sign Dalton Knecht. The Lakers had already given up on the 17th pick in the 2024 draft, and the Knicks brought him in on a hybrid contract at a much lower cost.
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Knicks Backcourt Suddenly Has Another Young Guard Worth Watching
A former lottery pick is on the verge of landing in the Knicks orbit, giving Westchester another young guard worth tracking this winter. Rob Dillingham, who was waived by the Hornets in September, is expected to sign with the Westchester Knicks once the waivers process is complete, adding a player with real pedigree to the organizations developmental pipeline.
Dillingham entered the league as the No. 8 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and has already bounced through stops with the Timberwolves and Bulls in his first two NBA seasons. He has shown flashes along the way, but he still has not carved out a steady home on an NBA roster, which makes this next step a chance to reset his stock while giving the Knicks a closer look at a guard who still has plenty of upside. [Read more 🡒]
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Mike Brown did not hide his irritation afterward, pointing to the officiating and the disparity at the stripe as a major issue. For a Knicks team trying to keep pace in a tight stretch, the concern is not just the result itself but whether Brunsons night without a free-throw attempt becomes part of a bigger pattern worth watching. [Read more 🡒]