Ayo Dosunmu has wasted no time making the Timberwolves look smart for handing him a five-year, $112 million deal in the offseason.
Seven games into the season, the numbers are doing a lot of the talking. Dosunmu is averaging 15.3 points, 5 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 53.1/48/81.8. For a player some people questioned at that price, that’s a strong start by any measure.
What makes Dosunmu so useful is that he doesn’t need the same kind of role every night. He can slot in next to stars and do the dirty work, or he can take on more when the offense asks for it. That flexibility is a big part of why the Timberwolves were willing to pay him.
The first four games with Anthony Edwards available showed the complementary version of Dosunmu. He knocked down spot-up looks, defended on the perimeter, scored in transition, helped on the glass and kept the ball moving. He also showed he can expand his game when needed, posting 14 points and 10 assists.
With Edwards injured, Dosunmu has stepped into the starting lineup and taken on more responsibility. Over the last three games without Edwards, he’s putting up 19.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3 assists. On Saturday night, he kept Minnesota’s offense from stalling, finishing with 27 points while LaMelo Ball was slowed by foul trouble.
His rim pressure gives the Wolves something different, especially for a team that leans heavily on the 3-point line. Databallr has him in the 97th percentile for rim attempts per game, which helps explain why his game translates so well in different lineup setups.
The other thing that stands out is how steady he’s been. Dosunmu doesn’t seem to force many bad passes, settle for ugly shots or disappear defensively.
He’s not perfect every night, but he’s been one of Minnesota’s most dependable players. His only game that really qualifies as a rough one came against the Cleveland Cavaliers, when he finished with nine points on 4-for-10 shooting.
For a role player, that kind of consistency matters. So does the ability to scale up when the situation changes. Players with that profile tend to show up on championship-caliber teams, and that’s part of the case for why this deal made sense.
The contract itself looks more manageable when you put it in today’s market. $22.4 million per year is the going rate for a fringe starter or high-end bench player, and the rising cap only helps.
Dosunmu is making $19.3 million this season before climbing to $25.4 million in the final year of the deal. The Timberwolves also signed Naz Reid to a contract in 2025, another reminder of where the market is headed.
By Basketball-Reference, Dosunmu is the 108th highest-paid player in the league this season. Based on how he’s played, that feels low. He looks closer to the top 75, and at the very least inside the top 100.
So far, the Wolves are getting exactly what they paid for: a versatile guard who can fit next to stars, carry more when needed and keep showing up every night.
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Chris Finch's Frustration Says A Lot About This Wolves Stretch
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Minnesota is 4-3, which is still a solid start on paper, but the context around that record matters. The Spurs had Victor Wembanyama in dominant form, and the Wolves were left sorting through a night that felt as much about composure as execution. For Finch, the reaction on the sideline said plenty about how thin the margin can feel when a team is missing its best scorer and the game starts tilting in the wrong direction. [Read more 🡒]