If everything goes as planned this summer, the Minnesota Timberwolves will trade for a star-level lead guard and re-sign Ayo Dosunmu. Luckily, re-signing Ayo seems like a near certainty based on Jake Fischer's reporting last week.
Of course, the possibility of trading for a star guard would make Anthony Edwards' life infinitely easier. However, it will also highlight Ayo's elite malleability and complementary skill set.
The Wolves already got a chance to see how Dosunmu's complementary skill set boosted the team since he arrived in Minnesota at the trade deadline. These effects will only be amplified with the addition of a star, though.
Ayo Dosunmu's value will only become clearer with the addition of another star
Dosunmu thrives playing off the ball in a spot-up role, is a fantastic connective playmaker, and is a high-level defender. At the same time, he excels at attacking the rim and getting downhill, especially in transition. Most of Ayo's points come within the natural flow of the offense or by him seeking out opportunities in transition.
Having a jack-of-all-trades player like Ayo elevates stars around him. Plus, it makes him a seamless fit with any style of player.
We already saw how much he benefited Edwards, and with the addition of another star, Dosunmu's impact will further pop.
High-end role players like Ayo are incredibly valuable to contending teams. In the modern NBA, you can never have too much ball-handling, especially when you are trying to compete against defenses like the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.
Dosunmu can provide some extra ball-handling (and shot creation) if needed while also being able to thrive in a pure off-ball role.
He's what I call a versatile, scalable guard in the mold of a Jrue Holiday or Derrick White. These players are valuable in just about any context, but especially so when they are sharing the court with stars.
As such, if the Wolves trade for a star, we'll get to see the true value of Ayo's skill set next year. In the unfortunate event that the Wolves can't trade for a star, we will get to see what Dosunmu can do in a scaled-up role (assuming they still trade Julius Randle).
Ayo's 43-point performance in Game 4 of the first-round provides some clear hope that he could scale up. Yet, I still don't think he's consistent enough to provide second-option-level production on a nightly basis and is more of an elite complementary player.
As established, though, there's nothing wrong with that, and if the Wolves trade for a star, the immense value of Ayo's complementary abilities will be on full display.
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