Dylan Cardwell
| No. 32 – Sacramento Kings | |
|---|---|
| Position | Center |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | December 16, 2001 Augusta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 255 lb (116 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | |
| College | Auburn (2020–2025) |
| NBA draft | 2025: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2025–present |
| Career history | |
| 2025–present | Sacramento Kings |
| 2025–2026 | →Stockton Kings |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Dylan Cardwell (born December 16, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Auburn Tigers.
Early life and high school
[edit]Cardwell attended Oak Hill Academy up to his junior season before transferring to McEachern High School for his senior year. As a junior he averaged 3.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.[1] Coming out of high school, Cardwell was rated as a three-star recruit and committed to play college basketball for the Auburn Tigers over other schools such as Georgia, Tennessee, Miami, Maryland and UConn.[2]
College career
[edit]As a freshman in 2020–21, Cardwell appeared in 27 games where he averaged 3.8 points and 3.6 rebounds in 15.2 minutes per game.[3] On January 11, 2022, he tallied six points, six rebounds and four blocks in a win over rival Alabama.[4] During the 2021–22 season, Cardwell appeared in all 34 games and averaged three points and three rebounds.[5] In the first two games of the 2022–23 season, he put up nine points and ten blocks.[6] In the 2022–23 season, Cardwell averaged 3.7 points and 3.8 rebounds in 32 appearances.[7] In 2023–24, he averaged 5.3 points, 1.6 blocks and 1.2 assists in 14.7 minutes per game.[8] Heading into the 2024–25 season, Cardwell become a full-time starter for the first time.[9] On December 30, 2024, he posted 12 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks and a steal in a win over Monmouth.[10] On March 1, 2025, Cardwell become the all-time winningest player in Auburn men’s basketball history, with 115 wins after he helped the Tigers to a 94–78 win over Kentucky.[11]
Professional career
[edit]On June 26, 2025 after being undrafted in the 2025 NBA draft, Cardwell signed a two-way contract with the Sacramento Kings.[12]
On February 6, 2026, the Kings signed Cardwell to a four-year, $8.3 million standard contract after trading Dennis Schroder, Keon Ellis and Dario Šarić as part of a three-team deal that brought De'Andre Hunter to Sacramento. At the time of the signing, Cardwell was leading his rookie class in blocks per game,[13] and he led all rookies in rebounds per game in the same month. Cardwell recorded a career-high 15 points against the Los Angeles Clippers on April 5th, 2025, alongside four blocks.
Career statistics
[edit]| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NBA
[edit]| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025–26 | Sacramento | 44 | 1 | 20.6 | .587 | .500 | .510 | 7.5 | 1.4 | .7 | 1.5 | 5.4 |
| Career | 44 | 1 | 20.6 | .587 | .500 | .510 | 7.5 | 1.4 | .7 | 1.5 | 5.4 | |
College
[edit]| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 | Auburn | 27 | 1 | 15.1 | .705 | 1.000 | .571 | 3.6 | .5 | .4 | .6 | 3.8 |
| 2021–22 | Auburn | 34 | 0 | 11.5 | .690 | .000 | .400 | 3.0 | .5 | .5 | 1.2 | 3.0 |
| 2022–23 | Auburn | 32 | 1 | 13.4 | .747 | .000 | .318 | 3.8 | 1.1 | .3 | 1.3 | 3.7 |
| 2023–24 | Auburn | 35 | 1 | 14.5 | .709 | .400 | .587 | 3.7 | 1.2 | .6 | 1.6 | 5.3 |
| 2024–25 | Auburn | 38 | 38 | 20.3 | .700 | .500 | .324 | 5.1 | 1.6 | .8 | 1.4 | 5.0 |
| Career | 166 | 41 | 15.1 | .709 | .400 | .450 | 3.9 | 1.2 | .6 | 1.3 | 4.2 | |
References
[edit]- ↑ Vitale, Josh (May 7, 2020). "3-star center Dylan Cardwell commits, gives Auburn much-needed big man". Montgomery Advisor. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
- ↑ Green, Tom (May 7, 2020). "3-star center Dylan Cardwell commits to Auburn". AL.com. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
- ↑ Bharucha, Manush (December 23, 2024). "Who Is Dylan Cardwell? Everything You Need to Know About Auburn's 6′ 11″ Center". Essentially Sports. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
- ↑ Green, Tom (January 12, 2022). "Dylan Cardwell turns heel vs. Alabama, finishes as Auburn's 'most important player' in win". AL.com. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
- ↑ Green, Tom (May 31, 2022). "Auburn's Dylan Cardwell withdrawing from NBA Draft, returning for 2022-23 season". AL.com. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
- ↑ Green, Tom (November 15, 2022). "Dylan Cardwell's rim protection a 'factor' for No. 13 Auburn early this season". AL.com. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
- ↑ Silva, Richard (April 25, 2023). "Dylan Cardwell, three other Auburn basketball players listed as early entrants for draft". Montgomery Advisor. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
- ↑ Noyes, Craig (April 11, 2024). "Dylan Cardwell announces return to Auburn for 5th season". The Auburn Plainsman. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
- ↑ Rauterkus, Peter (February 28, 2025). "How Dylan Cardwell's decision to 'fight, not flee,' etched his name in Auburn history". AL.com. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
- ↑ Locke, Daniel (January 2, 2025). "Auburn's Dylan Cardwell 'Grateful' for Breakout Performance". SI.com. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
- ↑ Rauterkus, Peter (March 1, 2025). "Dylan Cardwell becomes all-time winningest player in Auburn men's basketball history". AL.com. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
- ↑ Zimmerle, Will (June 27, 2025). "Kings Sign 6-Foot-11 Center After 2025 NBA Draft". si.com. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
- ↑ "Sacramento Kings Sign Dylan Cardwell". kings.com. 2025-02-05. Retrieved 2026-02-07.