Dylan Cardwell has agreed to a two-way contract with the Sacramento Kings, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. Cardwell played five seasons with the Auburn Tigers before going undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Cardwell spent four seasons as a rotational piece in the Tigers lineup before starting all 38 games he appeared in as a fifth-year senior. He finished his career averaging 4.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game across 166 total games played for Auburn.
During the 2024-25 season, Cardwell played a pivotal role in sending the Tigers to the Final Four for the second time in program history. They would fall short of the national title game, running into eventual NCAA champions Florida Gators in the national semifinal.
Cardwell scored nine points and logged eight rebounds during the 79-73 loss, his final game in an Auburn uniform. The Tigers finished the season with a 32-6 record and was considered the No. 1 overall seed heading into the NCAA Tournament this past March.
More than anything on the court, Cardwell’s head coach at Auburn for those five years, Bruce Pearl, raved about his veteran big man’s character in the locker room. He provided a glowing review of Cardwell ahead of his professional career.
“He’s our team minister,” Pearl said. “We call him Cap because he’s our captain. A lot of guys talk the talk. I’m probably one of them. Dylan talks the talk, and he walks the walk. He’s a man of faith. He is an impeccable human being, and our guys listen to him. They respect him. And off the floor, he’s got a servant’s heart. He has time and patience for everybody. He’s charitable.
“He’s the guy that I would like my daughters to marry, OK? I mean, he is the guy. And I tell you what, guys like Dylan Cardwell should give us hope for our humanity. They really, really should because he’s an incredible individual. And the thing about it is, he shares it and it spreads, and it’s infectious and other guys want to be like him.”
Cardwell isn’t the first former Auburn Tiger to agree to a two-way deal after the NBA Draft as former teammate Miles Kelly will join Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks to fight for his spot on the roster this offseason. Moreover, Johni Broome was selected No. 35 overall in the second round by the Philadelphia 76ers.
