Dylan Windler is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also played in the G League with Cleveland Charge.
If you are a big-time NBA junkie, you surely have come across this name, Dylan Windler.
It’s only been a few years since this guy debuted in the NBA, but he is already successful and has become the talk of the town.
He started his NBA journey with the Cavaliers after they picked him as the 26th overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft. He serves as a shooting guard and small forward for the team.
After playing in the G League, he was recalled by the parent club in February 2023.
Moreover, Dylan was a collegiate player for Belmont University in Nashville. He has been named to the First-team All-OVC two times.
He has shown up for his brilliance whenever it comes to basketball, and certainly, the future seems bright for him.
In this article, we have tried to sum up his life from the beginning to date. We hope you will enjoy reading this. But first thing first, without any further ado, let’s look at the quick facts;
Quick Facts
Full Name | Dylan Windler |
Birth Date | September 22, 1996 |
Birth Place | Indianapolis, Indiana |
Nick Name | D-Wind |
Religion | Christian |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | White |
Education | Perry Meridian High School, Belmont University(2015-2019) |
Horoscope | Libra |
Father’sName | Not known |
Mother’sName | Karen Eickman |
Siblings | the older sister (Corey Laidig) |
Age | 28 Years Old |
Height | 6’7″/2.01 m/201 cm |
Weight | 89 kg/196 lb. |
Jersey No | Nine |
Hair Color | Light Brown |
Eye Color | Hazel Blue |
Awards | 2 times First-team All-OVC (2018, 2019) |
Build | Athlete |
Marital Status | Single |
Girlfriend | Lauren Rau |
Position | Shooting guard/ Small forward |
Profession | NBA player |
Net Worth | $4 million |
Salary | $4,037,278 |
Currently Plays for | Cleveland Cavaliers |
League | NBA |
Active Since | 2018-present |
Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
Merch | Basketball Card |
Last Update | January 2025 |
Early Life, Family, And Education
Dylan Windler was born to his father and mother, Karen Windler, on September 22, 1996, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Sadly, his father’s details are not available on the internet as of now.
The professional basketball player also has a sister, Corey, who is three years older than him. He follows Christianity and belongs to the white ethnicity.
While growing up, Windler played many sports, including baseball, basketball, indoor soccer, outdoor soccer, tennis, fishing, skiing (both water and snow), and golf.
Moreover, Dylan played football in elementary school and middle school. He was up on a traveling team for baseball and played baseball throughout middle school.
Interestingly, he used his right hand for most of the sports he played but was lefty while playing basketball and dribbled with his left hand.
In addition to basketball, he was an excellent golf player and participated in various junior golf tournaments.
Family Line
Dylan belongs to a family with an athletic background; his mother, Karen, was a state-competing high jumper, and to this day, no one has ever broken her record in high school. Her name is still displayed there in the high school gym.
Karen participated in track and field during high school and also played basketball. She played both games exceptionally well.
Similarly, his sister, Corey, did high jumps and played soccer and basketball. She goes to Ball State but has never played organized games there.
Moreover, Dylan has a stepfather Steve Eickman with whom he played golf initially.
Age, Height, And Body Measurement
The professional basketball player was born in the year 1996, which makes him 28 years old. Likewise, Dylan celebrates his birthday on September 22, making his birth sign Libra.
Dylan is an ideal match that meets all the qualifications to become a leading athlete. He is quite conscious when it comes to fitness and diet.
He likes working out at the gym when he is not on the court. Moreover, Dylan stands 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 meters) tall and weighs around 89 kg (196 pounds).
More about his physical features, he has short light brown hair and stunning hazel eyes.
High School and College
Dylan went to Perry Meridian High School in Indianapolis, the same high school his sister and mother attended.
There, he played basketball, but at the same time, he was outstanding at golf.
He played for the Indiana Elite AAU team along with future Virginia player Kyle Guy in the summer of 2014.
As a senior-year player, he led the state in points and rebounds per game with 27.3 points and 10.2 rebounds.
College Career
Dylan’s rock-solid performance for the AAU team landed him scholarship opportunities from 15 Division I schools. However, he committed to Belmont University.
His freshman season was below average, as he just managed to average 4.3 points per game. He played as a reserve player and was benched for most of the games.
Following that, Dylan’s sophomore year was full-on power-packed. He took on a starting guard position and became an outside threat, finishing the season with a 39.8% three-point completion rate.
His junior year was phenomenal, posting an average of 17.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. During a game against Morehead State, he recorded a career-high 36 points and 20 rebounds on February 17, 2018.
After his praiseworthy junior season, he was named to the First-Team All-OVC.
In his senior season, the NBA player was also named to the 2019 Julius Erving Award watchlist.
During his collegiate career, he earned a spot on the OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll three times and an Academic All-American twice.
Likewise, he helped his team qualify for the NCAA tournament but faced a 79-77 loss against the Maryland Terrapins in the Round of 64.
Dylan also served as the student-athlete liaison on the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Competition Committee and led his team to win over teams like Morehead State and Temple Owls.
The shooting guard stayed very close to his roommate, former Belmont guard Kevin McClain.
He had also remained friends with Ty Jerome, Carsen Edward, Admiral Schofield, and Ethan Happ, with whom he played against and lived alongside when he moved to Chicago to work on his signing with Priority Sports and Entertainment.
College Stats
Belmont Stats |
||||||||||||
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
2015-2016 | Belmont Bruins | 32 | 1 | 18.4 | .495 | .239 | .667 | 4.5 | .9 | .6 | .6 | 4.3 |
2016-2017 | Belmont Bruins | 30 | 30 | 30.1 | .533 | .398 | .733 | 6.3 | 1.6 | .9 | 1.0 | 9.2 |
2017-2018 | Belmont Bruins | 33 | 33 | 35.4 | .559 | .426 | .718 | 9.3 | 2.7 | 1.0 | .9 | 17.3 |
2018-2019 | Belmont Bruins | 33 | 33 | 33.2 | .540 | .429 | .847 | 10.8 | 2.5 | 1.4 | .6 | 21.3 |
Career | 128 | 97 | 29.4 | .541 | .406 | .761 | 7.8 | 2.0 | 1.0 | .8 | 13.2 |
Professional Career
After a successful collegiate career, Dylan declared his name for the 2019 NBA draft. The Cleveland Cavaliers selected him as the 26th overall pick in that year’s draft.
When he got drafted, all his family members and relatives were overwhelmed with happiness. Dylan hovered excitedly and dropped his head to his knees, opened a bottle of champagne, and partied with his family.
However, his rookie season was not as he wished; Dylan was diagnosed with a left tibial stress reaction in September.
In January 2020, he was ruled out for the season because of his leg injury. That was quite an unlikely start for this Indiana native.
Dylan made his NBA debut in a 121-114 win over the Charlotte Hornets on December 23, 2020.
He played 31 games in the 2020-21 season and 50 games in the 2021-22 season. However, after suffering from hamstring and ankle injuries, he did not feature for many games in the 2022-23 season.
With the Cavaliers G League affiliate, he had a brilliant season, scoring 20-point mark three times. In March, he posted a massive double-double in a win over Grand Rapids.
Net Worth And Salary
Despite proving his performance and talent during his time with Belmont, he couldn’t give a playful start with the Cavaliers.
That was really unfortunate. As per reports, Dylan was the first player in 47 years to get selected in the NBA from Belmont.
He signed a 4-year/$10.45 million rookie contract with the Cavaliers and later exercised a $2.23 million option for 2020. In his rookie season, he bagged $1,908,563, and $2,137,440 in his second season.
As per spotrac, Dylan’s projected salary for 2021-22 was $2,137,440, and for the 2022-23 season is $4,037,278.
Dylan has an estimated net worth of around $4 million as of 2025. Most of his fortune comes from his professional basketball career.
However, Dylan has not landed any significant endorsement and sponsorship deals as of now. But as he progresses in his career, he will certainly land some endorsement deals.
Philanthropist
Keeping sports and athleticism aside, What else does Dylan do? Here’s an answer, Dylan joined a squad of athletes from Belmont on a trip to Nakuru, Kenya, during the last months of his junior year.
They visited an orphanage named “Streets of Hope,” an organization that focuses on looking after children abandoned on the streets. According to Dylan, interacting with kids brought a smile to his face.
Further, he also paid a visit to Nicaragua’s Hope Road, a similar kind of organization.
Windler is affirmative towards launching his own foundation but has never been vocal about it. He is willing to work for his community and spread positivity.
Personal Life And Girlfriend
The shooting guard has not traveled so far in the NBA road, but he has surely come a long way with his girlfriend.
Dylan is in a romantic relationship with his long-time girlfriend, Lauren Rau. Rau is also an athlete who played women’s basketball for Lipscomb, Belmont’s arch-rival.
Lauren was born in Greenwood, Indiana, and enrolled at the Grove High School Center, where she served as a guard.
As of now, there are no such rumors about their marriage, but hopefully, they will surely give it a second thought.
Social Media Presence
The NBA player is quite active on social media platforms. He keeps his fans updated with his posts.
Dylan’s social media posts feature his friends, family, sports tournaments, outdoor destinations, and adventure trips.
He also shares pictures of himself in the gym and never shies away from showing how much of a fitness freak he is.
We can certainly get a hint of his life from his Instagram profile, as it looks colorful and vibrant.
You can find him on Instagram under the handle @d_win23 and Twitter @Dylan_Windler23.
Twitter: 16k followers
Instagram: 28.5k followers
Popularity
Despite just being on the scene for a few years, he has gained a considerable amount of fans from around the world.
The above graph gives brief information about the popularity of Dylan Windler based on Google searches in the United States over a year.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who is Dylan Windler's agent?
Mark Bartelstein and Andy Shiffman of Priority Sports & Entertainment are agents of Dylan Windler.
Is Dylan Windler injured?
Several injuries in his career have slowed Dylan Windler. In the 2021 season, Dylan suffered a knee injury and had to undergo surgery on his left knee. During his first NBA season, just before the training camp Dylan was wiped out by a stress fracture in his left leg. Likewise, in the 2020-21 season, Windler suffered a wrist injury. He also broke his left wrist in the Cavaliers' opener and was sidelined for a month.
How many points did Dylan Windler average this season?
Dylan Windler has just played 11 games in the 2022-23 season, averaging 12.2 points and 1.1 assists per game with the Cleveland Charge.
Was Dylan Windler a finalist for the rookie of the year 2021 NBA award?
No, LaMelo Ball from Charlotte Hornets, Anthony Edwards from Minnesota Timberwolves, and Tyrese Haliburton from Sacramento Kings were the finalists for the 2021 NBA Rookie of the Year Award, where LaMelo Ball was named the winner.