NBA Draft: Christian Anderson Could Be Just What Wolves Need at Pick 28

If Texas Tech point guard Christian Anderson makes it to the Timberwolves' pick at No. 28 overall in this month's NBA draft, he could make a lot of sense as a backup point guard option for a Minnesota team in need of more ballhandling, playmaking, and shooting.

It's true that the Wolves have already tried and failed with an undersized PG in the draft recently. But Rob Dillingham not panning out as the No. 8 pick in 2024 doesn't have to sour the Wolves on an entire player archetype. The risk is a lot more palatable at the end of the first round, and while Anderson is small, he's not quite as much of a size outlier as Dillingham was.

Here's a look at their combine measurements from their draft year:

Player	Christian Anderson (2026)	Rob Dillingham (2024)
Height (no shoes)	6'0.75"	6'1"
Weight	180.4 pounds	164.2 pounds
Wingspan	6'6.25"	6'3"

At essentially the same height, Anderson has 16 pounds on Dillingham and just over three inches of wingspan. Those are not insignificant differences.

Now let's talk about Anderson as a prospect. A four-star recruit out of Oak Hill Academy in Virginia, he averaged 10.6 points and 2.2 assists per game as Texas Tech's sixth man as a true freshman. Unlike Dillingham, who was a five-star recruit who scored 15 a game as a freshman, Anderson wasn't a one-and-done player at the college level.

This past season, Anderson took a massive leap as a sophomore. He became the Red Raiders' starting point guard and almost never left the floor for Grant McCasland, averaging 38.4 minutes per game. His scoring average jumped up to 18.4 and his assists per game shot up to 7.4, which ranked fifth in the entire country. Anderson also shot 41.5 percent on nearly eight three-pointers per game, finishing 22nd in the nation with 108 total long-range makes.

Christian Anderson | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Anderson is a shifty guard who can create his own shot off the dribble. He's a gifted playmaker with an excellent feel for operating in the pick-and-roll and finding teammates. And while his size leads to some concerns about his ability to score at the rim and defend at the NBA level, he did post an impressive 40.5-inch vertical at the combine, which makes up a bit for his stature.

Texas Tech Christian Anderson pic.twitter.com/FiiKpgYEYc
— Pitless (@pitlessball) May 14, 2026

It's probably more likely than not that a team takes a chance on Anderson's shooting and playmaking abilities before the Wolves are on the clock at pick 28. That's where the Mike Conley trade that resulted in a pick swap with the Pistons (who have Minnesota's pick at 21) hurts a bit. But there's certainly a chance that Anderson's size pushes him all the way down to the bottom of the first round. And if that happens, the Wolves could have a chance to land a steal in the Texas Tech point guard.

The 2026 NBA Draft begins on June 23.

Add us as a preferred source on Google