When the Minnesota Timberwolves traded for Ayo Dosunmu, I was thrilled. Not only did they get a well-rounded guard who perfectly addressed their biggest need, but giving up Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller, and four second-round picks was a palatable price. The Timberwolves will have to re-sign Ayo this summer, and he's eligible for a three-year $52 million deal -- something I always believed was a price worth paying for Dosunmu's impressive all-around skill set.
In the past four games without Anthony Edwards, Dosunmu is averaging 19 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists on 50/47.4/90 shooting splits. This proves that Ayo is capable of scaling up when called upon, and he could become a core piece for the Wolves' future, not simply a great role player. Despite always being high on Ayo, I might have undersold just how valuable he is to the Timberwolves' future.
Dosunmu is one of the more valuable archetypes in the modern NBA. His off-ball shooting, defense, transition scoring, and connective playmaking allow him to complement star players. As noted earlier, though, Ayo can provide quality on ball creation and lead playmaking when needed. Sure, he'll probably never be an All-Star, but having a complementary player who can adapt to a bigger role is extremely valuable.
This is the type of player that the Wolves had with Nickeil Alexander-Walker until they were priced out of his services last offseason. Additionally, NAW's scoring upside wasn't seen in Minnesota. Thankfully, the Wolves are getting to see what Ayo looks like when he's prioritized in the offense.
Ayo Dosunmu could be the Timberwolves' version of Derrick White
Whether it's evaluating draft prospects or players currently in the league, there's no such thing as a perfect one-for-one comparison. However, Dosunmu shares many similarities with Derrick White, who was an indispensable part of the Boston Celtics' 2024 championship run.
White is the quintessential elite complementary guard. He is a knockdown shooter, capable creator, versatile defender, and connective playmaker. All of this sounds a lot like Dosunmu. During his first year and a half with the Celtics, White looked like a fantastic role player. And when the Celtics traded Marcus Smart in the summer of 2023, White proved that he could step into a third option level role on a championship team.
It's entirely possible that Ayo has a similar level of growth and becomes more than just a role player. Much like Ayo, the Celtics landed White for a fairly low price (Josh Richardson, Romeo Langford, a 2022 first-round pick that became Blake Wesley, and a 2028 first-round pick swap).
After the Celtics won the championship in 2024, this was hailed as a masterpiece of a trade for Brad Stevens. As time goes on, I firmly believe that the Ayo trade will be talked about similarly for Tim Connelly and the Timberwolves.
Ayo Dosunmu is making himself a key part of the Timberwolves' future
Re-signing Ayo should be the Timberwolves' top priority in the offseason. The price of $52 million over three years will later look like a bargain. There's simply no understating how valuable it is to have such a versatile player next to Ant.
Right now, I view Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and Dosunmu as the Wolves' three long-term building blocks. This isn't to say that Dosunmu (or even McDaniels) is better than the Wolves' frontcourt trio. However, the three frontcourt players make each other expendable in some ways. If the Wolves don't make another deep playoff run, it's fair to expect one of them (likely Randle or Gobert) to be traded, which would also open up a role for Joan Beringer.
Maybe you or the Wolves front office has a different perspective. Nevertheless, my stance is that Ayo has done enough to establish himself as a clear piece of the Wolves' future, and he has exceeded the (high) expectations attached to him when he arrived in Minnesota.