Ayo Dosunmu has not needed long to make his new contract felt around the Minnesota Timberwolves’ gym. In scrimmages and training camp work, the guard has spent plenty of possessions locked onto Anthony Edwards, answering the franchise star’s talk with his own and raising the temperature of every run.
Dosunmu brings a louder presence to camp
Edwards has long set the tone in Minnesota, but Dosunmu has become one of the few teammates willing to meet him head-on in practice. After arriving from Chicago at last season’s trade deadline, Dosunmu initially took a quieter approach while learning the personnel and the Wolves’ systems. That adjustment period is over.
“It’s fun,” Edwards said. “Not many players talk back to me, so having a guy like him on my side instead of facing him is great.”
Dosunmu said his deeper command of the club’s offensive and defensive work has allowed him to speak up more often.
“I feel established here now,” Dosunmu said. “I understand the offense and defense, so I can be more vocal. I want to help us win in every way — being a leader, holding guys accountable and doing what the team needs.”
- Dosunmu posted 10 points and three assists in 21 minutes during Minnesota’s 123-112 preseason loss to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.
- He is expected to operate as the Wolves’ sixth man, stepping into the role previously held by Naz Reid.
- Minnesota will lean on him for second-unit scoring, pace in transition and pressure defense on the perimeter.
A major deal amid a reshaped roster
Minnesota committed to Dosunmu with a five-year, $112 million agreement, a significant investment that landed before the trade for LaMelo Ball and well ahead of Jonathan Kuminga’s signing. The timing underscored how strongly the organization wanted to retain a player who had already delivered high-end moments after the deadline move.
President of basketball operations Tim Connelly spent the offseason remaking several parts of the roster. The Wolves added a new starting point guard, secured a new starting power forward and moved on from Reid and Julius Randle, who had served as the team’s second scoring option over the previous two seasons.
Ball and Kuminga have supplied fresh energy in camp after Minnesota’s season ended with a second-round playoff exit. Dosunmu, technically a returning piece, has arrived with a noticeably more forceful voice.
“Getting him back was huge,” coach Chris Finch said. “We need him. His role is bigger than it was last year. We need the same player, but with more explosion, more scoring and more end-to-end impact.”
Chicago edge, Minnesota role
Edwards sees Dosunmu’s makeup as part of the answer for a Wolves group trying to keep pace with the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference.
“He’s a Chicago guy,” Edwards said. “He brings the grit and toughness that I love, and that’s something we’ve needed for years.”
Dosunmu was born in Chicago, won two Illinois state high school titles at Morgan Park and remained in-state for college at Illinois. He then spent his first four and a half NBA seasons with the Bulls before Chicago dealt him to Minnesota for Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller and draft assets rather than commit to a costly extension.
The move from an Eastern Conference team outside the playoff picture to a West contender gave Dosunmu a jolt, even as a calf injury limited him late in the regular season and during the postseason.
- He recorded 18 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists against Dallas in March.
- He scored 25 points with nine assists in Minnesota’s first-round Game 3 win over Denver.
- After Donte DiVincenzo suffered a torn right Achilles tendon, Dosunmu exploded for 43 points on 13-for-17 shooting in Game 4.
- Following the trade, he averaged 14.4 points and 4.2 rebounds while hitting 41 percent from 3-point range.
The Wolves had some early concern that Dosunmu could draw interest elsewhere in free agency, but the sides eventually reached their long-term deal. Dosunmu, who became engaged over the summer, now sees Minnesota as a place to build beyond basketball.
“This is home,” he said. “It’s where I wanted to be all along.”
Accountability work extends beyond Edwards
Dosunmu’s approach has not been limited to verbal sparring with Edwards. He has regularly checked in with Jaylen Clark about getting his shooting work done, bringing a more demanding edge to a locker room that also has a playful side.
Clark said Dosunmu’s habits have made an impression.
“He leads through what he does,” Clark said. “I understand his work now, and he knows that I work, too, so we have a really good relationship. But if you’re messing around, he’s probably not going to be your kind of guy.”
Dosunmu played last season with a contract on the line while chasing a playoff berth. He now enters an expanded role with financial security and a larger responsibility inside Minnesota’s rotation.
“In three years, I want people to say it was a steal of a contract,” Dosunmu said. “I’m more locked in because there’s more responsibility. I have to compete, give everything I have and help this organization win a championship.”
