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A new report links the Los Angeles Lakers to free agent guard Ayo Dosunmu for the upcoming offseason. Dosunmu is expected to receive a good contract this summer after he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves and contributed to some important playoff victories. Most fans overlooked Dosunmu for years on the Chicago Bulls until he joined an actual playoff team to play in front of bigger television audiences.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks listed the Lakers as one of the most realistic teams for Dosunmu:
“Best fits: Minnesota, Detroit, LA Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami
The deal I’d offer: Three years, $51 million
The contract starts at $17 million and remains flat. In light of Donte DiVincenzo’s Achilles injury, there should be a priority for Minnesota to retain Dosunmu despite being a luxury tax team for a third consecutive season and being above the first apron.”
Marks claimed that Dosunmu’s next contract should be about $17 million per year over three seasons. The Lakers will have a lot of cap space and could prioritize going after a sixth man guard off the bench to ensure their depth. Marks listed the Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, and Detroit Pistons as other teams that could try to sign Dosunmu.
Why Lakers Should Avoid Ayo Dosunmu
The Lakers do have a lot of cap space, but it will go down once they re-sign whichever names they hope to bring back. Austin Reaves and LeBron James will likely sign major contracts due to their importance as top three players on the roster.
Guard play is one area where the Lakers have a strength thanks to both Reaves and Luka Doncic starting in the backcourt. Dosunmu would help the bench, but does it make sense to prioritize the remaining money on another guard rather than fixing the real weaknesses.
The Lakers are expected to look for centers and wing players to improve their defense with athletic players in both roles. Not to mention, other free agents like Rui Hachimura, Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard, and Jaxson Hayes will all need new contracts as well to remain with the franchise moving forward.
How Ayo Dosunmu Could Help The Lakers
An argument for signing Dosunmu would focus on the bench struggling this past season without an elite talent. All three stars are in the starting lineup for the Lakers with the rest of the roster featuring players with noteworthy flaws.
Dosunmu would lead the second team and improve the backup point guard spot over Bronny James. This past playoff run showed that Dosunmu could step up in the big moments. Dosunmu helped Minnesota upset the Denver Nuggets in the first round, even after losing Anthony Edwards to injury for Game 6.
The Lakers would be looking to get better talent on the roster and keep Dosunmu for the years after LeBron retires. However, it still makes little sense to pass on players that better fit the Lakers’ needs now in favor of a young sixth man to add more scoring to the talented offensive roster.
Joey Haverford Joey Haverford is a seasoned sports content writer with over 12 years of experience. He has covered the NBA, WNBA, MLB, NFL, and professional wrestling in the sports industry. More about Joey Haverford