Offensive Game
Limited to rim-running and putback scoring at this stage. Not a perimeter threat. Value is as a catch-and-finish lob target.
Career Journey
Sacramento Kings
2024-present
Two-way converted to four-year standard deal (Feb 2026)
The Sacramento Kings converted Cardwell's rookie two-way contract into a four-year standard NBA contract in February 2026.
Auburn's all-time winningest player
Reached 115 career victories in March 2025 — the most by any player in Auburn men's basketball history — and helped Auburn reach the 2025 Final Four.
Rookie rotation role (2025-26)
Played 44 games at 20.6 minutes, averaging 5.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks on 58.7% shooting.
| Season | GP | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 44 | 5.4 | 7.5 | 1.4 | 58.7% | 50.0% |
Dylan Cardwell is the rare undrafted big who stuck, then stuck for good. A five-year Auburn Tiger, he left as the winningest player in program history (115 career victories) and a 2025 Final Four anchor whose value was never the box score. It was rim protection, screen-setting and finishing the easy ones at 70% from the field as a senior. Sacramento was the only team to offer a contract after the 2025 draft, and Cardwell rewarded the bet: he earned real rotation minutes, and in February 2026 the Kings converted his two-way into a four-year standard deal amid a roster reshuffle. Across his rookie year he played 44 games, averaging 5.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in roughly 21 minutes on 58.7% shooting. He won't stretch the floor, but he guards the rim and rebounds his area — the kind of connective, low-usage big that quietly keeps lineups afloat.
Offensive Game
Limited to rim-running and putback scoring at this stage. Not a perimeter threat. Value is as a catch-and-finish lob target.
Defensive Game
Strong shot-blocker with good instincts around the rim. Physical defensive presence that is difficult to move in the post.
Intangibles
Auburn-trained fundamentals. Understanding of defensive rotations and screen-roll timing is sound for a player his age.
Off the Court
Community events with the Kings
Did You Know?
Cardwell began the 2025-26 season on a two-way contract and earned a standard four-year deal mid-season — one of the most direct paths to roster security available in the NBA.
Playing alongside Domantas Sabonis gives Cardwell a daily education from one of the NBA's best passing and scoring centers.
His size and physicality at 6-foot-10, 255 pounds give him the foundation to develop into a reliable backup center over the next three to four years.
Auburn's physical, defensive-oriented SEC basketball prepared him well for the contact demands of the NBA.
Career Honors
SEC recognition for defensive impact and rebounding
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Sacramento Kings
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