Rob Dillingham’s first run with the Chicago Bulls has been a jolt of promise and frustration. The 2024 lottery pick scored a career-high 26 points on Tuesday against the Washington Wizards, then followed it Thursday with five points on 2-of-10 shooting and six turnovers against the same team.
That kind of swing has defined much of Dillingham’s path since he was traded to Chicago along with Leonard Miller. In 28 games with the Bulls, Dillingham is averaging 8.9 points, 2.9 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 2.0 turnovers while shooting 41.7 percent from the field, 31.1 percent from three-point range and 74.1 percent from the free-throw line.
The numbers show why the Bulls have kept watching closely. Dillingham has scored at least 15 points in six games, but he has also posted nine games in which he shot below 30 percent from the field. That split matters because his move to Chicago came after he struggled with the Wolves, where he eventually lost his rotation spot to Bones Hyland.
The trade gave Dillingham and Miller a chance to restart their careers, but it has not answered the question that has followed him since he entered the league: whether he is a true NBA contributor. For now, his time in Chicago looks like what the source called it, a roller coaster ride — one that can turn on a single shooting night either way.
