The Pistons had a chance to acquire a Bulls wing at the trade deadline and elected to receive Kevin Huerter over Ayo Dosunmu, who would have likely cost a little more. Now, they can only watch in despair after Dosunmu's historic performance leading the Timberwolves to a Game 4 win with 43 points off the bench. Dosunmu has been a perfect fit in Minnesota, providing the type of offensive support and solid defense that every young playoff team needs.
The Pistons missed out by not trading for Ayo Dosunmu
Many teams are kicking themselves now for not picking up Dosunmu, especially considering that the Timberwolves only traded Rob Dillingham and Leonard Miller - two young players who weren't cracking their rotation - along with a handful of second-round picks to Chicago. But the Pistons should have even more remorse because they helped make this trade possible when they flipped Jaden Ivey for Kevin Huerter.
As part of that trade, the Pistons also took on some additional salary from the Timberwolves which eventually helped Minnesota clear room for Dosunmu. Detroit took on Dario Saric before immediately waiving him, while the Bulls did the same with Mike Conley (who later found his way back to the Wolves). The Pistons were content to land Kevin Huerter and a pick swap with the Wolves, when they really should have been targeting Dosunmu all along.
Dosunmu provides a level of two-way impact that Pistons are missing from their wings. He would give them a solid option on both ends of the court rather than forcing them to choose which glaring weaknesses they want to keep on the floor. Obviously, he was dominant in Game 4 as he scored the most bench playoff points in a single game in 50 years. But Dosunmu has been solid ever since joining the Wolves; he's averaged 14 points per game while shooting 52% from the field, 41% from three and 92% from the free-throw line.
Dosunmu may now be an unobtainable target
With Dosunmu, the Pistons would have another creator that could help keep them out of the most desperate offensive situations. We've seen them stall in the playoffs because there are no other reliable creators besides Cade Cunningham. Bringing in some solid complementary pieces like Dosunmu this offseason must be a priority.
And Dosunmu will technically be available as he enters unrestricted free agency in the summer. But with his most recent performance, he may have priced himself out of the Pistons' range. Detroit will have his hands full negotiating extensions for Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson while Dosunmu will entertain plenty of suitors from the moment he hits the market.
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