![\"Ayo](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2026-05-11T041401Z_2074857350_MT1USATODAY28926603_RTRMADP_3_NBA-PLAYOFFS-SAN-ANTONIO-SPURS-AT-MINNES.jpeg\")
Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
The Minnesota Timberwolves front office is preparing for an offseason where president of basketball operations Tim Connelly<\/a> and other top-ranking executives in the front office will have a larger microscope on their decision-making than any other time during his Wolves tenure.<\/p>\n Then, there\u2019s Ayo Dosunmu. On paper, the trade deadline acquisition should be the most likely candidates to leave town, being he\u2019s one of the few actually scheduled to hit free agency this offseason.<\/p>\n However, when Minnesota traded away a recent top 10 overall draft pick (2024 \u2013 Rob Dillingham) and Leonard Miller for Dosunmu, they didn\u2019t do it<\/a> with plans of letting the former Illinoi star leave as a free agent a few months later, after just 34 total games played<\/a>.<\/p>\n In fact, according to NBA insider Tim Bontemps (ESPN)<\/a>, they \u201csimply cannot afford to let Dosunmu walk\u201d this summer.<\/p>\n New Ayo Dosunmu deal with Timberwolves incoming<\/p>\n Which is why, according to Bontemps sources around the league, the MN Timberwolves are expected to reach a deal on a contract extension for Ayo Dosunmu that he expects to come in at just over $15 million per year.<\/p>\n That number is significant because most Ayo suitors would be offering him their midlevel exception \u2014 projected to be $15.05 million next season, according to Spotrac<\/a>.<\/p>\n After the Timberwolves lost\u00a0Nickeil Alexander-Walker<\/a>\u00a0last summer in free agency \u2014 and after the 27-year-old guard was named 2026 Most Improved Player with the\u00a0Atlanta Hawks<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 Minnesota simply cannot afford to let Dosunmu walk. That\u2019s why sources around the league expect he will be back with the Wolves, but for a price slightly above the midlevel exception (roughly $15 million), which is what most rival teams could offer.<\/p>\n Tim Bontemps \u2013 ESPN<\/a><\/p>\n If the Wolves let Dosunmu walk now \u2014 after his arrival resulted in a second-round playoff exit \u2014 it wouldn\u2019t just be a stain on Tim Connelly\u2019s record as the Minnesota\u2019s president of basketball operations. It would be a complete and utter disaster for the organization. And that\u2019s why they aren\u2019t going to let it happen.<\/p>\n Signing Dosunmu doesn\u2019t necessarily mean losing Donte DiVincenzo<\/p>\n All we know for sure about the 2026-27 Minnesota Timberwolves, outside of going as Anthony Edwards goes, they are going to look a heckuva lot different than they did in 2025-26. Sensible departures could include, but are not limited to, Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid, among others.<\/p>\n But since it doesn\u2019t sound like Dosunmu is going anywhere, I can\u2019t help but wonder which current Wolves players will draw the short straw. In his piece, Bontemps suggests that, if Ayo is in, then Donte Divincenzo is out, but local insiders argue otherwise.<\/p>\n Doing so might require Minnesota to move off DiVincenzo, who will miss at least most of next season with a torn right Achilles, to avoid going into the second luxury tax apron.<\/p>\n Tim Bontemps \u2013 ESPN<\/a><\/p>\n @CousinJahh<\/a> Apparently I can’t respond to that because Mr. Sidery has blocked me, lol. What I can say is there are potentially going to be a lot of moving parts this summer, so I don’t think resigning Ayo definitely means DDV is gone. We’ll see how it all plays out.<\/p>\n \u2014 Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) May 28, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n After joining the Minnesota Timberwolves, Ayo Dosunmu averaged<\/a> 14.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 28.6 minutes per game, off the bench. He averaged just 1.5 turnovers and shot .41% from deep.<\/p>\n In the playoffs, he got even better, averaging 15.6 points, 4.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game in his 10 games played this postseason. He shot 50% from the floor and 43% from three.<\/p>\n AYO DOSUNMU IS COOKING<\/p>\n GAME OF HIS LIFE. \ud83d\udd25\ud83d\udd25\ud83d\udd25 pic.twitter.com\/pzBcKBXVj0<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 26, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n Related: Timberwolves Announce Rebrand, New Uniform Reveal Date<\/a><\/p>\n And not only did Ayo clutch up a few times when the Wolves needed him \u2014 even scoring 43 points<\/a> in game 5 against Denver<\/a>, after Anthony Edwards left with a knee injury<\/a> \u2014 but Dosunmu provided instant pace on offense and another shutdown defender on the other end.<\/p>\n Still, it all led to an early round playoff exit, which means \u2014 if you lose the 26-year-old<\/a> to free agency would have meant losing him and everything you traded away at the deadline\u2026 for essentially nothing.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMentioned in this article: Ayo Dosunmu<\/a> contract negotiations<\/a> <\/p>\n More About:Minnesota Timberwolves<\/a><\/p>\n Add MinnesotaSportsFan as a preferred source on Google. \t\t\t![\"Add](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/google_preferred_source_badge.png\"){kind=icon}
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