5 Thoughts on the Wolves Trading For Dosunmu, Moving On From Dillingham

Ayo Dosunmu is a big-time addition for the Wolves at a cost that makes sense.

Ayo Dosunmu and Rob Dillingham were the centerpieces of a Thursday morning trade between the Bulls and Timberwolves | Patrick Gorski and Jesse Johnson, Imagn Images

The Wolves made a significant pre-deadline trade addition on Thursday morning, acquiring guard/wing Ayo Dosunmu from the Chicago Bulls. The fifth-year pro, who is in the middle of a career year, figures to slot in as the seventh man in Minnesota's rotation, unless Chris Finch decides to insert him into Donte DiVincenzo's slot in the starting lineup.

Rob Dillingham is the main piece going back to Chicago in a trade that also sees the Wolves send four second-round picks to the Bulls, along with a swap of reserve forwards. Here's the full deal, including details on the second-rounders from HoopsHype's Michael Scotto:

• Timberwolves get: Ayo Dosunmu, Julian Phillips
• Bulls get: Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller, 2026 second-round pick

(least favorable of DEN/GSW), 2027 second-round pick (via CLE), 2031 second-round pick (more favorable of MIN/GSW), 2032 second (more favorable of PHX/HOU)

In short, the Wolves get a rotation upgrade that they desperately needed, while the Bulls get some upside potential and second-round draft capital for a player on an expiring contract. But we've got a lot more to discuss about this trade from a Minnesota standpoint. Here are five big thoughts:

Dosunmu is exactly what the Wolves needed

Ayo Dosunmu | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

If the Timberwolves weren't going to be able to land Giannis Antetokounmpo, who we now know will remain with the Bucks into the offseason, this was always the ideal type of move for Tim Connelly to make. Bones Hyland has had moments, as have others, but the Wolves have spent most of this season with only six players they feel very confident can handle major roles: Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, Jaden McDaniels, Rudy Gobert, DiVincenzo, and Naz Reid. Acquiring Dosunmu gives them a slam-dunk seventh player in that category.

Dosunmu, who recently turned 26, has had an outstanding season with the Bulls. In 45 games, averaging a little over 26 minutes, the 6'4" guard has put up 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists a night on outstanding 51/45/86 shooting splits. When handling the ball, Dosunmu likes to drive to the rim or create for others. Most of his threes have come in catch-and-shoot situations, where he's been lethal this season. Just last week, he went for a season-high 29 points with 8 rebounds and 9 assists in a win over the Heat, hitting 5 of his 6 three-point attempts.

Ayo Dosunmu pronunciation practice:

\EYE-o doe-SOO-mu\ pic.twitter.com/qyaEAhmp7E

— John Meyer (@meyerNBA) February 5, 2026

Dosunmu's ability to handle the ball and spot up as a shooter should make him a great fit in Minnesota's offense. He can play off the ball as a lower-usage guy alongside Edwards and/or Randle, and he can also take on more of an offensive responsibility in bench lineups, especially when Edwards is sitting. He's a great athlete who has the speed to be a weapon in transition.

Defensively, Dosunmu is an above-average player. He's not an elite defender, but he competes hard and has the length and athleticism to bother opponents in on-ball perimeter defense. In a lot of ways, Dosunmu will replace what the Wolves have missed since losing Nickeil Alexander-Walker to the Hawks this offseason. They're different players, but there are similarities in their two-way skill sets and competitive mindsets. This is a big-time addition to Minnesota's rotation for the rest of the regular season and into the playoffs.

They should be able to re-sign him

Dosunmu is making $7.5 million this season in the final year of his contract. On the surface, he's a rental acquisition for the Timberwolves, and viewing it through that lens makes the cost they paid to get him look a little steep. But the reality is that there's a good chance Minnesota will be able to re-sign Dosunmu and keep him around as a supplementary part of their core moving forward.

Because the Wolves acquired him now, they get Dosunmu's bird rights and will be able to exceed the salary cap to keep him. He'll be eligible for up to a three-year extension prior to June 30, and Minnesota will be able to offer him a better contract than other teams could in free agency. If everything goes to plan, Dosunmu will play for the Timberwolves into next season and beyond.

When viewed that way, the cost doesn't look bad at all for the Wolves. Dillingham and Miller weren't playing for them, and the first two of the four second-rounders they sent are likely to be in the 50s.

Pre-free agency strikes again with Minnesota acquiring soon to be free agent Ayo Dosunmu.

Without the trade, it would have been highly unlikely Minnesota could have signed him as a free agent.

Minnesota now inherits his bird rights, allowing them to exceed the cap in a new…

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) February 5, 2026

With Dillingham, it's OK to admit mistakes and move on

The headline of the return for the Bulls is Dillingham, who the Wolves drafted 8th overall two years ago. Not only did they select him in the top ten, they traded a 2030 first-round pick swap and their 2031 first-rounder to the Spurs on draft night in 2024. That was a significant price to pay to jump into the draft and land a player who Connelly believed could be Mike Conley's replacement as the Timberwolves' point guard of the future.

Two years in, Dillingham clearly hadn't worked out in Minnesota. He was mostly out of the rotation as a rookie, averaging 4.5 points and 2 assists in 10.5 minutes across 49 games. And instead of earning a bigger role this year, Dillingham played worse in his limited opportunities. He was down to 3.5 points and 1.7 assists in 9.3 minutes, and his shooting percentage had fallen from 44 to 33. Despite Conley's struggles and Bones Hyland's inconsistency, Finch never trusted Dillingham to take on a bigger role.

Rob Dillingham | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

When both moves are viewed in conjunction with each other, the Wolves basically gave up a first-rounder, a first-round swap, and four second-rounders to acquire Dosunmu. But that's not a sensible way to evaluate things. Connelly and company recognized that they whiffed on the Dillingham pick and are now moving on. It's OK to realize when something is a sunk cost. That's usually the smarter approach than trying to hold on and make something work to justify a previous decision.

On a similar note, the Wolves could've perhaps cut ties with Conley and Dillingham last offseason in order to create cap space for a push to keep Alexander-Walker. They didn't do that, but it's too late to go back and reverse that decision now.

Dillingham, who is just 21 years old, still has the potential to develop into a quality NBA player. He's shown flashes of the skill that the Wolves became enamored with a couple years ago. He didn't play well on the whole in Minnesota, but he also never got a long leash or extended opportunities to find a rhythm, learn from his mistakes, and grow. Hopefully he'll get that chance in Chicago, although the Bulls do have a glut of guards on their roster as it currently stands.

Phillips is a mildly intriguing throw-in

Julian Phillips | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The two other players involved in this trade shouldn't be completely overlooked. Miller is a 22-year-old forward who stuck around on the Wolves' roster for three seasons but never cracked the rotation. He's talented and has dominated the G League, so he could get a chance to play in Chicago. His lack of outside shooting is a roadblock in his path to becoming an NBA role player.

Coming to Minnesota alongside Dosunmu is Phillips, who has some interesting tools. He's also 22 years old and was taken exactly two spots after Miller in the second round of the 2023 draft. Phillips wasn't a big piece in Chicago, but he's at least been a rotation player at times on a mediocre team.

Back in 2022, Phillips was a five-star recruit out of high school and one of the top 20 players in his class, ranked right near players like Brandon Miller and Anthony Black. He spent one season at Tennessee and then declared for the draft. Phillips' most notable traits are his length and athleticism, which makes sense given his recruiting pedigree. He's got major bounce.

JULIAN PHILLIPS OMG 🤯

Young Bulls out here running pic.twitter.com/FDRFG5dJ8T

— CHGO Bulls (@CHGO_Bulls) October 13, 2024

Phillips has averaged just 11.6 minutes and 3.6 points per game in his three-year career, shooting below 44 percent from the floor and below 33 percent from three. But he's capable of knocking down an open shot from the corner, and his athletic tools give him some upside as a new development project for the Timberwolves' coaching staff.

Giannis talks can be revisited this offseason

It would've undoubtedly been very exciting if the Wolves had been able to acquire Antetokounmpo from the Bucks. The Ant-Giannis duo would've been a sight to behold. But it also would've required the Wolves to trade Jaden McDaniels and much more, breaking up their current core in the process.

Adding a supplementary piece like Dosunmu was always more realistic for the Timberwolves, and it ultimately may have made more sense. Minnesota's core gets to stick together — for now. After back-to-back exits in the Western Conference Finals, the pressure will ramp up this spring. If the Wolves' core can't get over the hump again this year, Connelly may want to shake things up in a bigger way — and that could certainly include revisiting Giannis discussions with Milwaukee.

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