If Minnesota sees Dosunmu as a starting point guard, they're going to have to pay him like one this summer. The 26-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent in July, and there's no question that he'll have a big market.
It's sort of insulting to call Rob Dillingham and Leonard Miller "spare parts," but if a basketball team is a machine running on players, then it's a fitting description for the two guys Minnesota traded to the Chicago Bulls for Ayo Dosunmu back in February.
The full trade had the Wolves include four second-round picks with Dillingham and Miller for Dosunmu and Julian Phillips. All in all, Chicago could find some gems in future drafts while hoping Dillingham and Miller develop into key players, but the Wolves might've found a long-term answer at point guard in Dosunmu.on Monday night that, according to Statmuse, he became the first Western Conference player since Magic Johnson to have a game with at least 15 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists, and three steals, while making at least 60% of his shots. Dosunmu finished with 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting, with 15 assists, 12 rebounds, and three steals. Truly eye-popping numbers that the Wolves never get from their guards. Not even Anthony Edwards, who has never had a triple-double in his career. In fact, Edwards has had only two double-doubles this season. When you rewind time to before the trade deadline arrived on Feb. 7, the Wolves were also linked to Bulls guards Coby White and Tre Jones. The rumors were juicy enough that Wolves head coach Chris Finch had to catch himself mid-answer when he was raving about watching so much Bulls film in late September. "They play at breakneck speed. I've been watching them now for a couple weeks... just following the rhythm of their season because I just like how they play, and I enjoy watching these guys play," It's now pretty clear that he loved watching Dosunmu, whose breakneck speed on the floor makes him a dangerous player with the ball in his hands. In 19 games with Minnesota. Dosunmu is averaging 13.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 0.9 steals, while shooting 53.1% overall, 43.1% from three-point range, and 88.0% from the free-throw line. His per-36 minutes averages jump to 17.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.2 steals. Imagine what kind of numbers Dosunmu could post if he were given a role as a true floor general. Instead, he's putting up impressive numbers for an offense that runs through Edwards and Julius Randle. Now is a good time to hit the pause button and recognize that he's listed as a shooting guard. But there's enough evidence to see Dosunmu being a high-end point guard with Edwards next to him at the two. Adding him to the starting lineup with Jaden McDaniels, Randle, and Rudy Gobert, with Donte DiVincenzo and Naz Reid coming off the bench, feels like a move the Wolves will ultimately have to make. Against Dallas Monday night, Dosunmu was in the starting lineup alongside Mike Conley and DiVicenzo because McDaniels was out with a knee injury and Edwards was late to the court while, as he said, "If Minnesota sees Dosunmu as a starting point guard, they're going to have to pay him like one this summer. The 26-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent in July, and there's no question that he'll have a big market if the Wolves can agree to terms with him before he's eligible to entertain outside offers. After making just over $7 million this season, a favorable contract comparison for Dosunmu as a free agent could be Andrew Nembhard's three-year, $58.6 million deal he signed last summer with the Indiana Pacers. Paying Dosunmu $19.5 million per year feels about right, especially if he's going to be moved into the starting lineup. On the higher end of the spectrum, a contract similar to the four-year, $100 million deal the Atlanta Hawks gave Dyson Daniels might be realistic. Daniels is one of the best defensive players in the NBA, and while his rebound and assist numbers are solid, he shoots bricks compared to Dosunmu. If the Wolves wind up paying Dosunmu roughly $20 million annually via a contract extension, it'll be added onto the large contracts already committed to Edwards, Gobert, McDaniels, Randle, and Reid. Minnesota currently has eight players under contract in 2026-27, in addition to a $2.4 million club option on Phillips. Those eight players will combine for roughly $188 million against the salary cap, which leaves Minnesota about $21 million shy of reaching the first apron of the luxury tax. Dosunmu's extension could push them into the first apron, and they'd still need to fill out the rest of the roster. That's doable without threatening the second apron, which the Wolves will surely stay away from to avoid the severe tax and trade/draft restrictions that come with it.Joe Nelson has more than 20 years of experience in Minnesota sports journalism. Nelson began his career in sports radio, working at smaller stations in Marshall and St. Cloud before moving to the highly-rated KFAN-FM 100.3 in the Twin Cities. While there, he produced the popular mid-morning show hosted by Minnesota Vikings play-by-play announcer Paul Allen. His time in radio laid the groundwork for his transition to sports writing in 2011. He covers the Vikings, Timberwolves, Gophers and Twins for On SI.Is Anthony Edwards Playing Tonight?
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