The risk of acquiring a player at the trade deadline is that they could end up being just a rental for a few months if set to enter free agency after the year. That’s where the Minnesota Timberwolves are at with Ayo Dosunmu.
The 26-year-old is scheduled to become a free agent on June 30. It was in early February when the Timberwolves traded for him in a deal with the Chicago Bulls. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, is predicting that Dosunmu will return to the Bulls, the only team he called home in the NBA prior to the trade. Granted, this was a "wild card" prediction from Cowley, but a prediction nonetheless.
“Ayo Dosunmu, welcome back home! With only a handful of teams looking to spend some money this summer, the Bulls grab Dosunmu to help with the rebuild after Minnesota can’t afford to bring him back, Cowley wrote in an article.
Could Ayo be interested in returning to Chicago?
Dosunmu will make a lot more on his next contract Â
Selected in the second round (38th overall) in the 2021 NBA Draft, Dosunmu spent his first four full seasons with the Bulls and was traded in the middle of his fifth. In the 2023 offseason, Chicago re-signed him to a 3-year, $21 million contract. It’s safe to say that Dosunmu's next upcoming deal will have a large increase in salary involved with it.
The Timberwolves acquired Dosunmu and Julian Phillips in exchange for Leonard Miller, Rob Dillingham, and four second round picks. Ayo was all that Minnesota could ask for after joining the team, shooting 41.4 percent from behind the arc for them in the regular season and even adding a masterful 43-point performance in the playoffs.
One would have to think Tim Connelly didn’t trade for him, and give up on Rob Dillingham in his second year, to just keep him for a few months. He had to have known that as long as he did as expected, which he did and more, bringing him back would likely put the Wolves into the first apron.
Bulls have a lot of cap room, but that doesn't mean Ayo will return
The Bulls are primed to have some of the most cap room in the league this offseason, along with the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets. If the Lakers re-sign LeBron James, likely much of that cap space will vanish (plus Austin Reaves will become a free agent once he declines his player option).
Chicago ended the season with a lot of backcourt players, but both Anfernee Simons and Collin Sexton will be free agents. They also waived Jaden Ivey at the end of March.
Minnesota acquired Dosunmu’s Bird rights, thus it can go over the cap to keep him. There’s a chance that he doesn’t even enter free agency. The 6-foot-4 guard is eligible to sign a three-year, $52.4 million extension prior to free agency kicking off.
I just don’t see Connelly letting Dosunmu walk. He may sign for more than the approximately $17.5 million per year that he can sign for right now, but he fits seamlessly with the Wolves. There’s a fairly good chance that Ayo would be in the starting lineup next season as well, with Donte DiVincenzo sidelined with a torn Achilles.
There’s nothing wrong with Cowley making a prediction about Dosunmu coming back to the Bulls. You never know until his next deal is official, but I don’t believe he will go back to a franchise where he saw his team win just one playoff game during his tenure with the club.Â
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