Ayo Dosunmu an X factor in Timberwolves backcourt with LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards

Chris Hine, Star Tribune on Jul 11, 2026

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LAS VEGAS — Just after he joined the Timberwolves, Ayo Dosunmu had a moment with coach Chris Finch that let him know Minnesota could be a place he spends the next chapter of his career.

“Basically, he just told me go play,” Dosunmu said. “ ‘I trust you.’ Just him instilling that confidence in me right away from our first conversation, our first encounter, I knew that this was definitely something that could be long term.”

That moment helped bring Dosunmu, Finch and President of Basketball Tim Connelly to Friday, when the team made official the five-year, $112 million contract Dosunmu signed at a news conference in Las Vegas, where the Wolves are playing in the NBA’s Summer League.

“I’m very excited to be back,” Dosunmu said. “Minnesota was always the place I wanted to be at, so once I got the opportunity to come back, there was no other place I’d rather be.”

Dosunmu didn’t talk much about his new backcourt running mate LaMelo Ball, whose trade to the Wolves became official after Dosunmu talked Friday. But he was clearly excited about Ball joining Anthony Edwards in a star-studded lineup.

“We have a lot of talented guys,” Dosunmu said. “We have a lot of smart, high IQ basketball minds on our roster.

“So it’s going to be fun because, LaMelo, how he plays. Ant, how he plays and just the whole team. I think that’s going to be very, very fun.”

Dosunmu came to the Wolves in a trade that sent second-year guard Rob Dillingham to the Bulls. Connelly said upon acquiring Dosunmu in February that he made the trade not for just the remainder of last season, but with an eye toward Dosunmu being a part of the team’s long-term plans.

Now 26, Dosunmu averaged 14.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists while playing with the Bulls and Wolves last season. He etched himself into Wolves postseason lore with a 43-point performance off the bench against Denver in a game where Edwards was sidelined.

“His best basketball is in front of him. He’s still very young,” Connelly said. “We’ll have him for his entire prime. … And then what you don’t know, doing a lot of background on Ayo, his family, support group and seeing that day to day just further enhanced our vision that he’s a guy we’re very fortunate to have.”

When asked in what areas he can improve, Dosunmu first cited rebounding. That will be paramount for a Wolves team that may enter the season without much depth at power forward, depending on what moves it may make the rest of the summer.

“I want to be more assertive in rebounding,” Dosunmu said. “That’s something I can continue to grow at. Rebounding, pushing the pace. I want to be able to create more off dribbling.

“I showcased that in the playoffs, regular season, but that’s something I can do at a higher level. Being more creative on the offensive end.”

One of the sticking points with some in the fan base was the annual value of Dosunmu’s deal ($22.4 million), which also contains a player option on the fifth year. But one of Connelly’s philosophies in running teams is not to fight tooth and nail in negotiations with players he envisions as long-term pieces.

Dosunmu fit that, and while the team did their background work on Dosunmu before making the trade to get him, what they saw from him up close only reaffirmed their desire to make a lengthy financial commitment.

Connelly mentioned one thing they appreciate about Dosunmu is their ability to be candid with him and push him.

“It’s hard not to envision him having this ascent,” Connelly said. “We joke, sometimes we argue, but we only challenge the people we think can achieve these goals. We know the things we’re challenging him to do are certainly in his ability to achieve.”