Almost all Minnesota Timberwolves fans would be in agreement that the team needs to do what is necessary to keep Ayo Dosunmu in the fold as he awaits free agency. It feels like even more of a necessity with Donte DiVincenzo sidelined for a long time with a torn Achilles.
Right now, the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs feel like they will be the top two teams in the Western Conference for years to come. Bringing back Ayo would allow Minnesota to continue to be in the tier right below them. Sam Vecenie of the Game Theory Podcast agrees. On the recent episode of his podcast speaking on the Timberwolves offseason, Vecenie said,
“How do you go about solidfying yourself as that third-best team? I think the answer there is you re-sign Ayo Dosunmu…I think that your pathway would be you keep Ayo, you use your taxpayer MLE on a guard of some sort.”
A lot could happen in an NBA season where a non-prohibitive favorite finds its way in making a deep postseason run, and the Timberwolves need to make sure they can be in the running if a surprise were to happen.
Dosunmu coming back should be a priority
Even if Minnesota were to acquire someone like Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kyrie Irving this offseason, their championship odds would likely still be behind both OKC and San Antonio. Wolves fans might not want to hear it, but their best path forward might be to ensure they are the top team out West after them.
Their main priority needs to be re-signing Dosunmu. For one, he will play an even larger role with DiVincenzo absent from the lineup. Secondly, Ayo was awesome after joining Minnesota.
In 24 regular season games with the Timberwolves, Dosunmu posted averages of 14.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.0 steals. He connected on 41.4 percent of his 3-point tries. Game 4 of their opening round matchup against the Denver Nuggets saw the 26-year-old have one of the best performances in team playoff history. Dosumnu scored 43 points while not missing any of his 5 3-point attempts.
The fifth-year guard’s motor constantly puts pressure on opposing defenses. Minnesota is clearly in need of players who are capable of doing so outside of Anthony Edwards. It would also benefit the team by placing shooters around Edwards, and they’re already down one (DiVincenzo).
Again, it’s hard to see the Timberwolves jumping over Oklahoma City or San Antonio. That doesn’t mean they should completely retool their roster. An untimely injury for either of those squads could catapult Minnesota over either. The Wolves might only have a puncher's chance, but they are still in the mix, and Ayo is a big part of their success.
They won’t be able to do much in free agency, but could perhaps add a wing that won’t break the bank (Kelly Oubre Jr.?).
It’s an extremely important offseason for the Timberwolves, and re-signing Dosunmu is vital for their chances of being a top-three team in the West next season.
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