Team context: Chicago Bulls · Research cutoff: July 18, 2026.
Role and baseline
Dillingham averaged 9.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.9 steals, and one three in 21.5 minutes across 30 Bulls games, shooting .428 from the field and committing 2.1 turnovers. Basketball-Reference Bulls page
Chicago acquired him with Leonard Miller on February 5. A July lineup analysis still listed his future among the unresolved reserve questions because Josh Giddey and Tre Jones occupy the two organizing roles. AP, February 5, 2026 · Sports Illustrated, July 2, 2026
2026-27 projection
| GP | Min | FG% | FT% | 3PM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | 5 | .415 | .760 | 0.3 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.5 |
Base rotation allocation: 5 of Chicago's exactly 240 minutes.
Fantasy fit
- Redraft/points: undrafted; monitor only if a guard is injured or traded.
- Dynasty: speculative scoring guard hold, but value is falling without a role.
- Strengths: burst, self-created scoring, threes, assist upside.
- Weaknesses: size, FG%, turnovers, defense, and crowded ball-handling reps.
Range and triggers
- Floor: frequent DNPs or reassignment/trade.
- Ceiling: 22 minutes with 11 points, four assists, 1.5 threes, and one steal; usable in points and deep category leagues.
- Watch: second-unit lead reps, Jones trade chatter, and whether Splitter tolerates the defensive tradeoff.
Career record
Pre-NBA: Kentucky, one season (2023-24): 15.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 3.9 APG on .475/.444/.796 in 23.3 minutes across 32 games (1 start); SEC Sixth Man of the Year, second-team All-SEC, SEC All-Freshman. Draft: 2024, Round 1, Pick 8, San Antonio — traded on draft night to Minnesota for a 2030 protected pick swap and an unprotected 2031 first.
| Season | Age | Team | GP | MPG | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG% | FT% | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 20 | MIN | 49 | 10.5 | 4.5 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.5 | .441 | .533 | 1.1 |
| 2025-26 | 21 | MIN | 35 | 9.3 | 3.5 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.3 | .333 | .750 | 1.0 |
| 2025-26 | 21 | CHI | 30 | 21.5 | 9.6 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 1.0 | .428 | .743 | 2.1 |
| Career | — | — | 114 | 13.0 | 5.5 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.6 | .411 | .700 | 1.3 |
Durability: 49 GP as a rookie and 65 in 2025-26, with the gaps mostly coach's-decision DNPs on a Minnesota contender rather than injury. He played through recurring right-wrist ganglion cysts (managed with injections) since entering the league, and had the cyst surgically removed on April 22, 2026 — Chicago called it minor.
Trajectory: The record shows a shoot-first guard who couldn't crack a contender's rotation but immediately produced per-minute when Chicago gave him 21.5 MPG (9.6/3.0/2.8 with a three and a steal in 30 games). The NBA 32% three-point shooting badly lags his 44% Kentucky mark, and the wrist cyst is the organization's stated hope for why. In 2026-27 he competes for second-unit lead-guard minutes behind Giddey and Tre Jones; he becomes fantasy-relevant only if the wrist surgery restores his jumper and an injury or trade opens 20+ minutes, at which point his late-2025-26 Bulls line is the realistic template.
Career sources: ESPN career stats · StatMuse season averages · StatMuse 2025-26 team splits · Wikipedia · Hoops Rumors, April 2026 wrist procedure
Open questions
- Is he part of the new front office's long-term plan?
- Can he contribute off ball beside Jones?
- What event gets him to 20 minutes without compromising the development hierarchy?