BIO: Dillon Stith was born in Bedford, Virginia (USA).

NBL EXPERIENCE

Dillon Stith made his NBL debut with the Melbourne United at 27 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

Melbourne United underwent a major roster overhaul, opting not to re-sign imports Casper Ware and Josh Boone, releasing Daniel Trist, and losing Craig Moller to Sydney. The team brought in new players, including Jo Lual-Acuil, Shea Ili, Melo Trimble, and Shawn Long. After an injury-plagued start to the season, United found themselves struggling early, but by late-November, they were in third place (7–4), with the highest-scoring offense in the league.

Dillon Stith joined Melbourne United as a training player and served as a short-term injury replacement twice during the season. He appeared in 8 games, averaging 2.0 points, 0.4 rebounds, and 0.3 assists in limited playing time. Despite his limited role, Stith contributed to United’s efforts as they finished the regular season in fourth place (15–13) and reached the semifinals.

In the semifinals, Melbourne faced Sydney but lost Game 1 (80–86). They responded in Game 2 with a dominant 125–80 victory, led by strong performances from Long (26 points, 11 rebounds) and Trimble (21 points, 2 steals). The series ended with Sydney winning Game 3 by just two points, advancing to the Grand Final.

2020/21
In the 2020/21 season, Melbourne saw roster changes and injuries, including the departure of Casey Prather and the injury of Jack White (9.1 points, 5.9 rebounds). Despite these setbacks, Melbourne finished the regular season in first place (28–8), with Jock Landale (16.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists) leading the team.

Stith again joined Melbourne as an injury replacement player. He appeared in 7 games, contributing 1.4 points and 0.7 rebounds on limited minutes. United went on to win their sixth NBL championship, defeating Perth (81–76) in the Grand Final in front of a sold-out crowd at John Cain Arena.

CAIRNS TAIPANS
2024/25
Stith had spent the years leading up to 2024 competing in Australia’s state leagues, steadily building his résumé as a reliable frontcourt presence. After securing Australian citizenship and gaining eligibility to play as a local, he signed a two-year deal with the Cairns Taipans ahead of the 2024/25 season, with the second year structured as a team option.

Heading into the 2024/25 season, Cairns entered a transitional phase following the departure of key imports Patrick Miller and Tahjere McCall. Other notable exits included Bul Kuol (to Sydney), Lat Mayen (to Adelaide), Bobi Klintman (NBA Draft), and Josh Roberts, leaving several holes across the roster.

To retool, the Taipans added new imports Rob Edwards, Pedro Bradshaw, and Tanner Groves, elevated rising star Taran Armstrong to the starting point guard role and team captain, and welcomed in fresh faces Kyle Adnam (via Illawarra), Jackson Makoi (via Sydney), and Kyrin Galloway (via Adelaide). Sam Waardenburg returned to anchor the frontcourt, while development signings Alex Higgins-Titsha and Kody Stattmann (via South East Melbourne).

After an encouraging start that saw Cairns begin the season 3–1, a string of injuries and close defeats triggered a 10-game skid across November and December. Despite some strong individual efforts from Edwards, Armstrong, and Groves, the Taipans struggled to execute in tight contests and maintain consistency at both ends.

Dillon Stith was signed as a late-season depth addition to provide energy and toughness off the bench. Though his role was limited, he made the most of his opportunities with physicality on the boards and a willingness to compete defensively. Stith gave Cairns extra frontcourt coverage during a period in which Groves and Bradshaw both missed time due to injury.

By the end of December, Cairns had fallen to 3–16 and found themselves at the bottom of the NBL ladder. With Armstrong and Groves both having missed multiple weeks and only Galloway appearing in all 28 games, the team leaned heavily on bench contributors. Temporary additions like Stith, Deshon Taylor (3 games), and Tad Dufelmeier Jr (4 games) were all used to help steady the rotation.

January brought a modest resurgence, with Cairns posting a 4–3 record during the month. Edwards delivered several 30-point performances, including a 35-point night against Brisbane. Armstrong returned to form, highlighted by a triple-double in Round 28. Although Stith played sparingly, his efforts in limited minutes were appreciated during the team’s stronger run of form.

Cairns closed the season with a 5–5 record across their final 10 games, ultimately finishing 8–21 and last on the ladder with the NBL’s lowest points percentage (92.49%). Following the season, head coach Adam Forde and the club agreed to part ways, ending a three-year tenure.

Dillon Stith averaged 1.3 points and 1.3 rebounds across 14 games in limited action. His standout performance came early in the season against Brisbane on September 14, where he scored 16 points in just 10 minutes of action. He also tallied 4 rebounds in a strong rebounding game against New Zealand and showed activity with 3 rebounds and a steal in a February outing against Tasmania. Stith’s hustle and professionalism added needed depth during a tough campaign.

Sam Waardenburg (14.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists) was a steady two-way contributor all year, earning Club MVP, Defensive Player, and Members’ Choice MVP honours at the end of the season. Tanner Groves (13.5 points and 5.7 rebounds) and Pedro Bradshaw (10.7 points and 5.7 rebounds) were both servicable while youngsters Kyrin Galloway (7.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks), Akoldah Gak (6.3 points, 5.6 rebounds), and Alex Higgins-Titsha (6.2 points, 3.9 rebounds) delivered a breakout season, making the most of Cairns’ injury woes.

Dillon Stith played three seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Melbourne United and the Cairns Taipans. He averaged 1.5 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 0.1 assists in 29 NBL games.