Rob Dillingham will be on an NBA roster next season, as the San Antonio Spurs picked him in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft Wednesday night. Dillingham was quickly part of a trade deal that sent him to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The former Kentucky dynamo was the No. 8 overall pick. Dillingham was the second UK player selected in the 2024 draft, joining fellow guard Reed Sheppard.

Dillingham was part of the final Kentucky team coached by John Calipari. Dillingham also was a member of the country's top-ranked recruiting class in 2023.

Here's what to know about Dillingham, the Wildcats' newest NBA draftee:

Rob Dillingham scouting report as he enters NBA

The biggest knock on Dillingham: his lack of size (he's barely 6-foot-1) and slender frame. That didn't hinder him all that much at Kentucky, however, as he proved to be an electric scorer and gifted playmaker. Conversely, his tendency to go for the jugular — he opted for highlight-reel passes more than the straightforward approach — also led to careless turnovers.

"As a smaller guard, he is elite at creating own shot, through spot-up shooting or dribble penetration because of his speed and ball-handling," USA TODAY's Jeff Zillgitt and Scooby Axson wrote earlier this month. "Will need to get stronger and improve shot selection."

Rob Dillingham Kentucky stats and highlights

Dillingham was, first and foremost, a scorer. His 15.2 points per game was No. 2 among Kentucky players last season, runner-up to senior guard Antonio Reeves (and his Calipari-era-record average of 20.2). Dillingham was almost exclusively a reserve, as he made only one start in 32 appearances in 2023-24. He had eight games of 20 or more points, highlighted by a 35-point effort in a loss to Tennessee. Dillingham made 44.4% (64 for 144) of his 3-point attempts, making him the fifth-most accurate shooter from distance in program history.

His excellence off the bench earned him the SEC's Sixth Man of the Year award as well as spots on the All-SEC Second Team (by both the league’s coaches and media members) and SEC All-Freshman Team.

Rob Dillingham recruiting ranking coming out of high school

The four major recruiting services — Rivals, ESPN, 247Sports and On3 — had varying views on Dillingham. Rivals and ESPN tabbed him a five-star prospect; he was a four star, according to 247Sports and On3. Despite the differing opinions, all four ranked him among the top 26 players in the 2023 cycle. Rivals and ESPN placed him at No. 15, followed by 247Sports (No. 21) and On3 (No. 26). Per the 247Sports Composite, Dillingham was the No. 3 point guard nationally among 2023 prospects.

Rob Dillingham height and weight

At the NBA draft combine, Dillingham measured 6-1 (without shoes) and weighed 164.2 pounds; he was the lightest player of any prospect who attended this year's combine. Those numbers are slightly off from Kentucky's official 2023-24 roster, where Dillingham was listed at 6-3 and 176 pounds.

Rob Dillingham comparison in NBA

NBAdraft.net wrote that Dillingham's best pro comp was a combination of Kemba Walker and Brandon Jennings. Bleacher Report picked Lou Williams as Dillingham's most accurate pro comp. The Ringer wrote Dillingham has "shades of" Williams and Bones Hyland in his game. Jeremy Woo, who covers basketball prospects and the NBA draft for ESPN, also compared Dillingham to Hyland (on the low end) and Darius Garland (if he maximizes his potential).

"Dillingham's creative playmaking and long-distance shooting has drawn comparisons to players such as Garland and Trae Young, but scouts acknowledge the wide range of outcomes for guards his size. ... If he makes a quick adjustment and proves capable of handling starting minutes, he has the shiftiness and scoring ability to be a potent scorer and playmaker," Woo wrote June 3. "If things go the other direction, Dillingham may wind up as more of a microwave option off the bench."

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Rob Dillingham trade deal San Antonio Spurs to Minnesota Timberwolves