Bones Hyland felt an absence and knew that he had to fill it.
As the Minnesota Timberwolves came together for a huddle after shootaround on Wednesday in Toronto, Mike Conley wasn’t there to lead the team in the send-off as he usually does. The Wolves traded Conley to the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday.
“He’s definitely truly missed,” Hyland told reporters after Minnesota’s 128-126 win in Toronto. “But I feel like I had to take on that role for sure.”
Against the Raptors, Hyland had to be the player the Wolves have needed all season. He scored 20 points in 26 minutes on 8 of 12 shooting and 4 of 7 from deep, providing an efficient scoring punch off Minnesota’s bench, which has ranked 23rd in total points scored this season. The high-impact player Hyland has been occasionally — and was again in Toronto — is the player the Wolves have needed much more consistently.
But that is no longer the case. Thursday morning, the Timberwolves acquired the guard who fills the absence they’ve had all season. The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski first reported that the Wolves are acquiring 6’4” guard Ayo Dosunmu and 6’6″ forward Julian Phillips from the Bulls in exchange for Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller, and four second-round picks.
After the Wolves dealt Conley’s $9.9 million contract to Chicago in exchange for cash considerations, the Wolves fell under the first apron, granting them more cap space flexibility. Speculation grew that Tim Connelly made the move to grease the wheels on a trade to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Wolves reportedly made a serious push for Antetokounmpo. However, they ultimately kept their core intact and had a relatively quiet trade deadline, with Dosunmu and Phillips as their only additions.
Dosunmu, 26, isn’t the All-Star-level player that rumors linked to the Wolves ahead of the deadline. He isn’t the type of acquisition that draws national attention. Dosunmu also isn’t the player whose jersey will be in high demand in the Timberwolves team store right away. But that isn’t the type of player they have needed all season.
The Wolves needed someone who could consistently and efficiently score on and off the ball. Someone who brings the same level of energy every night. Someone a lot like Nikciel Alexander-Walker.
Ayo Dosunmu and the Bulls win a THRILLER in Miami!
🔴 29 PTS (season-high)
🔴 8 REB
🔴 9 AST
🔴 5 3PM
He’s the first @chicagobulls player to record 25+ PTS, 5+ REB, 5+ AST, and 5+ 3PM this season! pic.twitter.com/RfjWGPSGYX
— NBA (@NBA) February 1, 2026
Ayo Dosunmu is averaging a career-high 15 points per game this season in 26.4 minutes, the second-fewest of his career. He’s overperformed his $7.5 million contract this season in a decreased role by scoring the ball at one of the most efficient clips of any bench player in the NBA. Dosunmu is shooting 51.4% from the floor this season (10.8 attempts), 55.6% from two-point range (6.5 attempts), and 45.1% from three (4.3 attempts).
Of the 45 games Dosunmu has played this year, 35 have been in a bench role. In those games, he averages 14.5 points, which is the third-highest average league-wide among players who’ve played at least 30 games off the bench. Jamie Jaquez (15.6) is first, and Naz Reid (14.8) is second.
The efficiency with which Dosunmu plays makes him the ideal sparkplug off any team’s bench because he can maximize limited minutes. Including the ten games that Dosunmu has started, he’s the only player in the NBA this season who averages at least 14 points per game on 45% or better from three-point range in fewer than 27 minutes.
Ayo Dosunmu speeds down the floor and converts a tough layup to cap a 17-4 Bulls run!
Hawks-Bulls | Live on the NBA App
📲 https://t.co/5m0O9WIrWg pic.twitter.com/ZouwRC0z8g
— NBA (@NBA) February 13, 2024
Despite putting up starter-quality stats this season, Ayo Dosunmu will likely remain a bench option in Minnesota because Chris Finch’s preferred starting lineup (Donte DiVincenzo, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle, and Rudy Gobert) has a +9.2 net rating together. That group’s chemistry has steadily grown together this season. There is no sense in messing that up, especially because Dosunmu’s frenetic playstyle is handcrafted to be the most effective in a bench role.
Dosunmu is more of a combo guard than a traditional point guard. However, much like Alexander-Walker, Dosunmu also excels with the ball in his hands. He’s an aggressive downhill attacker with a skillful package around the rim, allowing him to break through point-of-attack defense and put the other team in a vulnerable position. Dosunmu is also an effective operator out of pick-and-rolls. He sees the court well and is a threat to pull up and hit from deep, making him a perfect pairing with his downhill speed.
That is exactly what the Wolves haven’t had enough of this season. A player — other than Reid — who’s a capable and efficient on-ball scorer, is more than willing to hunt their own shot, and does so intelligently.
When Finch rotates Edwards, Randle, or McDaniels around Dosunmu, the fit will remain natural. Of Dosunmu’s 193 three-point attempts this season, 167 of them have been catch-and-shoots. He has made 42.5% of those attempts.
Defensively, Dosunmu is a downgrade from Alexander-Walker and Jaylen Clark but an upgrade from Hyland. Dosunmu’s 6-foot-4 frame and 6-foot-10 wingspan make him a switchable defender. He’s still growing as a defender, learning defensive techniques, but he brings a relentless energy to that end. The type of contagious, consistent energy that the Wolves have missed most after losing Alexander-Walker.
It’s around pure energy — on both ends — that much of Dosunmu’s game revolves. And he has been able to combine that with an increasingly more polished offensive skill set.
Most nights, Ayo Dosunmu plays like the player Hyland was in Toronto on Wednesday. The player whose coach can count on to fill up the box score on offense, make winning plays on defense, and bring non-stop energy from the moment they are checked into the game. The player who can fill the absence the Timberwolves have had all season.