The Minnesota Timberwolves re-signing Ayo Dosunmu to a five-year, $112 million contract back in late June was met with a wide array of opinions.
Supporters of this deal believe that Ayo proved to be an ideal fit with the Timberwolves since arriving in Minnesota at the deadline, and this is the price you have to pay for premium complementary players. Conversely, detractors believe that it's an overpay for someone who isn't a true lead guard, and they could have used their cap space elsewhere.
At the surface level, Dosunmu's importance to the Wolves went down a bit after they traded for LaMelo Ball shortly after re-signing him. Still, championship teams are always searching for complementary players like Ayo.
Whether it's generating rim pressure, defending on the perimeter, spot-up shooting, handling the ball, or serving as a connective playmaker, Dosunmu provides a ton of all-around value. This skill set makes Dosunmu an ideal complementary player alongside Anthony Edwards and Ball, and he can handle a bigger role if needed (as evidenced by that magical 43-point game in the playoffs).
Simply put, Ayo is one of the more valuable archetypes in the league -- and I'd happily pay $22.4 million per year for a player like that. It's also worth noting that Dosunmu will make $19.3 million next season, and as his salary goes up, so will the cap. And at 26, Dosunmu is a long-term fit with this core.
Ayo Dosunmu is an immensely valuable player
I touched on it briefly, but the idea that Dosunmu isn't super valuable with LaMelo in the mix is quite silly. Firstly, it's vital to note that in a conference with the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder, who are elite teams that play a high-pressure style of defense, having extra ball-handling is mandatory.
It's unclear if Ayo will start (I'd assume he closes most nights either way), but if he does, the Wolves will have three quality ball-handlers in their starting lineup -- that's a big advantage. This paired with Ayo's aforementioned all-around skill set, makes him super valuable to high-leverage basketball.
As noted earlier, well-rounded players like Dosunmu are frequently found on championship teams. Josh Hart, Cason Wallace, Alex Caruso, Derrick White, and Jrue Holiday are some recent championship players with similarities to Ayo.
No, he's not a perfect comparison to any of these players -- but the point is that complementary players who can make a well-rounded impact are immensely valuable, and that's exactly what Ayo is.
Another common counter to Dosunmu's contract could be: Who were they bidding against?
I think that's a fair question, and frankly. I always assumed he'd stay in Minnesota since few teams had both cap space and a competitive roster. Regardless, the Los Angeles Lakers (with LeBron James out of the fold) had a ton of cap space, and they could have signed Ayo. The Detroit Pistons could have been another threat.
As such, it's not like there were no threats. At the end of the day, I would rather pay a bit more to ensure that I keep my guy than risk losing him on the open market.
According to Basketball Reference, Ayo is slated to be the 104th highest-paid player in the league; he's more impactful and valuable than that number suggests. When you look through this lens, Dosunmu's contract might not just be solid value -- it might look like a straight-up steal.
The Timberwolves have more upside than ever this season, and Dosunmu can be a key piece of their success, which would surely force detractors to admit they were wrong about his contract.
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