The Minnesota Timberwolves made Ayo Dosunmu a $112 million man this summer. This five-year, $112 million deal was a little controversial, but I've always defended it. Simply put, every title team needs scalable complementary players, like Ayo and this is the going right for fringe starters. Heck, Naz Reid got a five-year $125 million deal last season.
In addition to his on-court impact, Dosunmu's mindset will ensure that this deal ages well. During training camp, Ayo discussed how he feels more motivated than ever after getting a new deal. This is notable, as many players either take their foot off the gas or simply feel less stressed after earning a new deal.
"I'm even more locked in and more focused because I understand that they invested in me," Ayo said. "So, me being a competitor, me loving the game, being able to do this game at a high level, I want to do a favor to myself and make sure that I give it my all. I want to make sure that I can say that, okay, you invested this in me, but you should have invested this in me. You know what I'm saying? That's the mindset I have. I want to look back in three years, and they say, 'Oh, that was a steal of a contract.' So, I'm even more locked in because now I feel like it's more responsibility for me just to go out there and compete and give my all and help this organization ultimately win a championship."
There's been a lot of buzz from Wolves media and his teammates that Ayo has taken on a more vocal leadership role at training camp. Even watching from afar, you can see that Dosunmu is a mature player and someone you'd want in your NBA foxhole. He gives it 100 percent every night and is extremely thoughtful when speaking to the media. You can see his maturity in this answer.
Ayo Dosunmu has the mentality and skill set to live up to this contract
Of course, the on-court impact mainly matters in determining how a contract ages. Still, mentality is also a factor, and it's clear Ayo has the perfect mentality to ensure that he lives up to his hefty contract.
Dosunmu, a former second-round pick, is a career grinder. He's earned every opportunity he's had. And despite the new contract, Dosunmu clearly isn't getting comfortable. This urgency will help Ayo prove himself and ultimately will be a boon to the Wolves amid their championship quest.
Basketball-wise, I really value Dosunmu's all-around skill set. He can attack the rim, defend the perimeter, spot-up, and playmake. One could argue that he doesn't have any outlier traits. However, Ayo doesn't have any glaring weaknesses, and versatile role players like this are incredibly valuable. Plus, I'd argue that being one of the best transition players in the sport is an outlier skill.
Dosunmu's off-ball abilities will allow him to seamlessly complement Anthony Edwards and the newly acquired LaMelo Ball. All the same, if they need a shot-creation punch, he can provide that. Ayo's memorable 43-point game in the playoffs showed that he can scale up. Additionally, he ranked in the 82nd percentile for one-on-one shot-making per Basketball Index.
While Dosunmu might not be a game-changing POA defender, he is clearly a positive one. The NBA is quickly becoming about exposing players' weaknesses. Thus, having a complementary player with so few weaknesses is a major advantage. Players with similar skill sets to Dosunmu are found on countless championship teams. Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Cason Wallace, and Alex Caruso are four recent champions who share some similarities with Ayo. For an elite complementary guard like Ayo, $22.4 million is more than a fair number. In fact, it could prove to be a steal.
Overall, between Dosunmu's well-rounded skill set and willingness to keep proving himself, I'm fully confident that he'll be able to prove the Timberwolves right for this contract.
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