At the trade deadline, Tim Connelly swung a deal for Ayo Dosunmu to increase the Minnesota Timberwolves' guard play and give the team another playoff rotation guy. The biggest risk of trading for Dosunmu wasn't what they gave up, but it was trading for him knowing that he was an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
The Timberwolves have Dosunmu's Bird rights, meaning they can go over the cap to sign him, and Dosunmu has expressed interest in re-signing as well.
But in NBA free agency, there can be no guarantees. There's always a chance that a team with lots of cap space offers Dosunmu a deal that he can't refuse, and the Wolves are priced out. In the instance that this happens, the Wolves must have pivots they can turn to.
Kelly Oubre Jr. would be an ideal pivot in the unfortunate event that the Wolves can't re-sign Ayo.
The Timberwolves' number one pivot should be Kelly Oubre Jr.
Oubre plays a much different role than Dosunmu does, but the impact he brings on both ends of the court would likely be similar. This past season with the Philadelphia 76ers, he averaged 14.1 points, 5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists on 46.7/36/76.6 splits. He brings a level of infectious energy and tenaciousness that the Wolves frequently lack during the regular season.
He's also a willing cutter and a more than capable spacer, especially out of the corners where most of his looks come from. This Wolves team needs more guys like Oubre who are willing to move off the ball to create looks.
Oubre has been mostly known as a defensive wing who won't have many plays run for him, but in his last year with the Charlotte Hornets a few years ago, he was a 20-point-per-game scorer.
Depending on what happens to the Wolves roster this summer, Oubre could either start or come off the bench, but in this league, you can never have enough versatility, and that is exactly what Oubre brings.
Cruically, Oubre is coming off a two-year $16.3 million deal, which makes him a realistic target for the Wolves, and he certainly projects to be cheaper than Ayo.
How would he replace Ayo Dosunmu in the event of a departure?
Obviously, Dosunmu is better with the ball in his hands than Oubre, but if the Wolves end up trading for a star point guard, they will need guys surrounding the backcourt of that point guard and Anthony Edwards who are willing to do the dirty work.
This has been Oubre's MO his entire career. He started as a scrappy energy guy in Washington, but over the years, he's expanded his game to become a reliable scoring option.
Dosunmu should still be priority number one, especially given the optics of trading for him just a couple of months prior. However, I can't confidently say he will undoubtedly be back.
Backup plans are a necessity in free agency, and Oubre could fill Dosunmu's scoring void (granted in different ways) and give the Wolves another defensive presence.
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