The Boston Celtics enter this offseason with a clear mandate: put more pressure on the rim.
As Brad Stevens stated at his end-of-season press conference, "One of the things that we've got to figure out is how to have more of an impact at the rim. And I think we do need to add to our team to do that."
A tantalizing option to help address that via free agency is Ayo Dosunmu. He's averaging nearly the same amount of paint touches as Jaylen Brown this postseason. He's also producing more points on those [1.3 to 0.6 per game]. Furthermore, the former is generating 5.1 points on drives. That would rank third on the Celtics behind Brown and Jayson Tatum. He's also tied for the 10th-most made field goals in the restricted area among guards in this year's playoffs.
Dosunmu attacks downhill, gets to the basket, and he's excellent at finishing around the cylinder. That includes having success when challenging Victor Wembanyama at times during this second-round series between the Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs.
The fifth-year guard would represent a home-run acquisition for Boston.
What are the chances the Celtics sign Dosunmu?
Unfortunately, they're small. It would be shocking to see the C's pull this off. The reason is that the Timberwolves have no intention of him being just a rental.
While he was among the more appealing trade-deadline options for Boston, Dosunmu relocated from Chicago to the "Twin Cities." After bringing him on board, Timberwolves' president of basketball operations, Tim Connelly, told Chris Hine of the Star Tribune, "We're certainly hopeful it's a long-term match. He wasn't just identified for the next 30-plus games; he was identified because he was a guy who could be a huge part of our core."
Since then, he has helped Minnesota knock out the Denver Nuggets. The Timberwolves were 2-2 against the Spurs before a 126-97 loss in San Antonio on Tuesday. Whether their season ends at the conclusion of Game 6 or their summer vacation is delayed, expect him to re-sign with his new club.
If the six-foot-four guard leaves, it's because he got a rather lucrative payday elsewhere. That seems unlikely to come from the Celtics. Furthermore, even if his new deal reaches nine figures, for instance, matching Dyson Daniels' four-year, $100 million contract, Minnesota could do so and still avoid the second apron. The organization would likely land in the first apron. However, the Timberwolves understood that when they acquired Dosunmu. That didn't stop Connelly from declaring their intention to retain him beyond the current campaign.
The fiesty on-ball defender who can push the pace, get to the rim, and has developed into an over 40-percent three-point shooter this season represents perhaps Boston's best option in free agency this summer. Unfortunately, he's probably nothing more than a dream target for the Celtics.
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