The Minnesota Timberwolves have lacked guard play and depth all season long. With these issues, their path to another deep playoff run seemed slim, and it was clear a trade deadline move was necessary. Luckily, Tim Connelly came through and landed Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu (along with Julian Phillips) at the deadline. The price of Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller, and four second-round picks might seem lofty to some. However, for a Wolves team that lacks depth and guard play, this is a move you make 10 times out of 10.
Crucially, Dosunmu provides an ideal solution to the Wolves' main problems of guard play and poor depth. Leading up to the trade deadline, Dosunmu stood out to me as an ideal trade target for the Wolves. Minnesota needs a guard who can provide a little bit of everything, and that's exactly what Dosunmu can do.
His blend of 3-point shooting, connective playmaking, perimeter defense, and shot creation checks all the boxes of what the Wolves need. Minnesota has been searching for a player like Dosunmu since losing Nickeil Alexander-Walker in free agency.
Dosunmu is a picture perfect fit with the Wolves
The Illinois product is enjoying a career season, posting averages of 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists on 51.4/45.1/85.7 shooting splits. It's fair to expect these numbers to decline a bit as the Wolves' top six is loaded. Nevertheless, the point is that he'll provide consistent scoring off the bench, something the Wolves have lacked outside of Naz Reid.
Notably, the Wolves currently rank 23rd in bench points (with Reid accounting for an absurd 44.5 percent of the team's bench points) and 29th in overall bench minutes.
Dosunmu can create for himself at a high level, ranking in the 96th percentile for rim shot creation and the 88th for finishing talent, according to Basketball Index. His size, strength, and skill make him a powerful downhill finisher. He gives Minnesota the consistent bench spark they've been lacking outside of Reid.
Ayo Dosunmu is a wicked north/south scorer and spot-up shooter...
— Basketball University (@UofBasketball) February 4, 2026
Strong bodied and gets down hill consistently. Lots of pressure on the rim in the half court and a beast in transition. Type of guard built for the the trenches of a playoff series. pic.twitter.com/6m40DcNoD9
Perhaps the best aspect of Dosunmu's game is his all-around versatility. He's not a pure microwave scorer who needs the ball in his hand to succeed. In addition to his stellar 45.1 percent shooting from 3-point range, Dosunmu ranks in the 90th percentile for 3PT shot making efficiency according to Basketball Index.
This ability to knock down 3s makes Dosunmu a smooth fit with anyone in the Wolves' lineup -- especially Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle. Impressively, only two players in the entire NBA average 15 points and shoot 45 percent from beyond the arc: Dosunmu and Jaden McDaniels!
How about playmaking, which has been a crucial issue for the Wolves all year long? While he's more of a combo guard than a natural point guard, Dosunmu is a reliable ball-handler and trustworthy decision-maker. His 2.69 assist-to-turnover ratio is proof of this. As is the fact that he ranks in the 91st percentile for assist-to-usage ratio per Cleaning the Glass.
Again, Dosunmu isn't your classic point guard, but I would consider him a reasonable solution to the issues Minnesota has had from its lack of quality PG play.
What about defense? You guessed it, Dosunmu can defend too! At 6-foot-4, he has solid positional size and is a tenacious on-ball defender. While he's not an All-Defensive level player, he's clearly a net positive on that end of the floor. Impressively, opposing players are shooting just 41.4 percent when defended by Dosunmu.
The Wolves have lacked dependable point-of-attack defense outside of McDaniels. Jaylen Clark has helped a bit, but his offense is far too raw for him to play sustainable minutes. Dosunmu solves this problem.
Despite the Wolves displaying defensive inconsistencies this season, defense remains their identity, and they needed to trade for a player who fits into this identity.
Ultimately, the Wolves need a jack-of-all-trades player in their backcourt, and that's exactly what they will get with Dosunmu. While he might not be a big name, Dosunmu is the perfect addition to this core and could help set the Wolves up for another deep playoff run.
Take a bow Tim Connelly!