Nickeil Alexander-Walker is straight up one of my favorite Timberwolves of all time. He played hard every minute he was on the floor. He showed up in big moments, and the chemistry he had with the team was undeniable. Losing him in free agency hurt the team a lot, and it showed through the first half of the season.
They simply didn't have anyone to replicate the production he brought last year. However, the trade deadline changed that for the better for Minnesota. Ayo Dosunmu has been downright elite since he got traded here, and he's more than filled the void that losing Nickeil left.
Ayo Dosunmu has been better this year than Nickeil Alexander-Walker was last year
This year in Atlanta, Nickeil broke out into a legit 20-point-per-game scorer after being given a greater offensive role and more ball-handling duties. I knew he would break out; I didn't know it would be this much, though, considering last year with Minnesota, he averaged only 9.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists.
In comparison, Ayo Dosunmu during his time in Minnesota so far is averaging 12.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists, while shooting a blistering 53.6 percent from the field and 41.5 percent from 3-point range. This isn't a knock on Nickeil's season in Minnesota at all. He was Awesome, but for what the Wolves need, Dosunmu has more than replaced that this year.
Unlike NAW, the Timberwolves should be able to extend Dosunmu long-term
When the Timberwolves acquired Dosunmu at the deadline, they also acquired his Bird Rights, meaning they can go over the salary cap to extend him in free agency. This is huge, basically guaranteeing that he won't be a rental.
In the summer, the Wolves will be able to sign him to an extension up to three years, worth approximately $52 million. This averages out to just over $17 million annually for Dosunmu. When Tim Connelly gets that contract done, it will be one of the best value contracts in the entire NBA.
Ayo is a player who can easily scale up or down in a role, and he'll play efficient, minimal-mistake basketball in any role. Getting any player like that for less than $20 million per year is highway robbery.
Between him, Donte DiVincenzo, and Jaden McDaniels, the Wolves will have three of the premier role players in the NBA on extremely team-friendly deals -- which is huge for building a championship contender.