The Minnesota Timberwolves signing Ayo Dosunmu to a five-year $112 million contract this summer was a bit controversial. I get it: that's a big commitment to a high-end role player. However, I've always defended the deal. The reality is that Dosunmu is an incredible complementary player alongside Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball. Championship teams are frequently littered with players like Dosunmu, and they couldn't risk losing him.
Dosunmu's overall contract seems alarming, but this upcoming season he'll be making $19.3 million, and looking around the league, that's more than a reasonable number. One contract that really puts into perspective the value of Dosunmu's deal is Christian Braun's. Last October, the Denver Nuggets inked a five-year $125 million deal with Braun.
Following this hefty payday, Braun had a down season, netting just 30.1 percent of his 3-pointers. Considering that he's a superior 3-point shooter, playmaker, and defender, it's safe to call Dosunmu the significantly more valuable player -- yet he's on a cheaper contract than Braun.
It's not a secret that the Timberwolves and Nuggets have a fierce rivalry. Thinking about Braun's contract should both make the Wolves feel better about Dosunmu's deal and give them a reason to laugh at Denver.
Dosunmu's contract looks like a steal next to Braun's contract
To truly determine whether a contract is good or bad value, you have to compare it to other deals around the league. Braun's contract isn't the only somewhat recent deal that makes Dosunmu's contract look better: Dyson Daniels signed a four-year, $100 million contract last summer, and Coby White signed a three-year, $74 million contract this summer. Dosunmu is clearly more well-rounded and impactful than both Daniels and White.
In comparison to Ayo's deal, though, Braun's contract truly sticks out like a sore thumb.
Look, I get it, Braun's contract is now viewed as somewhat of an albatross. However, what his deal shows us is that somewhere around the $20 million range annually is the going rate for a young fringe starter. The Timberwolves getting a considerably better player or a slightly cheaper deal should be seen as a massive win.
As noted earlier, Dosunmu is an elite complementary player. He can thrive both on the ball as an elite finisher with blazing speed, and off the ball thanks to his dependable spot-up shooting. Dosunmu is also a rock-solid connective playmaker and tenacious defender. Well-rounded complementary guards who can scale up if needed are infinitely valuable to championship teams. Think of players like Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Alex Caruso, and Cason Wallace. All of those guys make a lot of money or, in Wallace's case, will soon make a lot of money.
The Nuggets hoped that Braun could fill this role (to be fair, he was part of their rotation during their 2023 Finals run). Nevertheless, his shaky shooting and lack of self-creation limit his effectiveness in this role. And other contract comparisons I mentioned, Dyson Daniels (shooting) and Coby White (defense), have clear flaws.
Overall, the Timberwolves locked up an impactful complementary player who doesn't have any noticeable flaws on a long-term contract, and looking around the league (especially at Braun's deal), they did pretty well value-wise.
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