The Minnesota Timberwolves, alongside the Miami Heat, were the reported finalists to land Giannis Antetokounmpo at the NBA trade deadline, but the Milwaukee Bucks opted to keep the two-time MVP through at least the remainder of the 2025-26 season. Therefore, the Timberwolves pivoted on a trade target.

Despite moving Mike Conley to free cap space, they made another move to bring in Ayo Dosunmu from the Chicago Bulls, one of the best reserve guards in the NBA, who immediately replaces that void left by Nickeil Alexander-Walker when he departed in free agency in the 2025 offseason.

Three games into his tenure with the Timberwolves, and Dosunmu is already putting up numbers. Averaging 14.7 points and 1.7 steals per game, Dosunmu has added a much-needed jolt to this Minnesota bench unit alongside Naz Reid.

Asked to reflect on the move so far after his 12-point performance against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night, Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch expressed satisfaction with the move.

"It was something that we [needed]," Finch said of Dosnumu's pace. "He just plays clean. Everything's clean, it's simple. If it's there, he makes it. If it's not there, he keeps it. He trusts that he's gonna make the next play. He doesn't panic with the ball in his hands...He's just been fun to watch."

Not only does Dosunmu play well in a fast-paced environment, but he's also extremely efficient when scoring the ball, shooting over 50% from the field and over 40% from three-point range this season.

The main drawback with Dosunmu is his contract, as he's set to enter unrestricted free agency in the 2026 offseason. The Timberwolves will more than likely look to bring him back, but at 26 years old and having the season he is, it wouldn't be a surprise to see another team make a competitive offer to be one of their starting guard.

While that problem will arise later this offseason, the focus remains on how Dosunmu continues to bring value to this Timberwolves team. They've been a rocky team so far this season, going through different high and low stretches, but Dosunmu gives them some more stability as a quality option off the bench.

The Timberwolves now head into the All-Star break with a 34-22 record, and still well in the mix to fight their way up the Western Conference standings in the second half of the season. If they want to do that and make a deep postseason run, Dosunmu will surely play a major part in that.