There's no question that the Timberwolves will be front and center of every trade rumor regarding an NBA star. But the major question that the front office will need to find an answer to in the coming weeks is what kind of star do they want to pair with Anthony Edwards?
Ayo Dosunmu and Bones Hyland are both unrestricted free agents, and while it seems like there's mutual interest to bring both back, there is still a major hole at point guard for now, at least. It's even more apparent that the Wolves find a solution at point guard with Donte DiVincenzo slated to miss the vast majority of next season with a torn Achilles tendon.
This poses the question: are the Wolves comfortable enough at point guard if they re-sign Dosunmu and Hyland to use their assets for a star forward, or is trading for an elite point guard despite those two, the better option?
Can Ayo Dosunmu be the future starting point guard of this franchise?
Dosunmu showed major flashes of being the ideal Edwards backcourt mate in the playoffs, especially during the Nuggets' series. He notably exploded for a career high 43 points in Game 4 to lead the shorthanded Wolves to a commanding 3-1 series lead. While he was less effective in the Spurs' series, he was also battling both calf and heel injuries.
I think it's fair to say that Dosunmu isn't ever going to be an All-Star caliber guard, but if he can replicate what he did this year for a full year next year, that should give the Wolves enough confidence that they don't need to trade for another point guard.
Instead, they can scour the market for a star forward/big man to pair with Edwards.
The Timberwolves might view Dosunmu better as a sixth man than a starter
Kyrie Irving has been a popular trade target among Timberwolves fans, and it's easy to see why. Not only is he a picture-perfect fit alongside Ant, but he's one of the players the Wolves could realistically swap Julius Randle for, and he expressed interest in playing for Minnesota nine years ago.
It wouldn't make sense to start with whichever point guard they trade for, Dosunmu, and Edwards. So the Wolves will have an important choice to make on Dosunmu's front. Do they view him highly enough to steer away from a player of Kyrie's level, or do they view him highly, just not in a starting point guard sense?
Either way, this will be the most important question that Tim Connelly must answer before the trade floodgates open.
Add us as a preferred source on Google