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.
| 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 | →Stockton Kings |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Early life and high school
editCardwell 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
editAs 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
editOn 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 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 began to lead all rookies in rebounds per game the same month.
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.