MINNEAPOLIS — For the first time since being traded 283 days ago at the 2026 NBA trade deadline, Timberwolves guard Ayo Dosunmu will face his former and hometown team, the Chicago Bulls.
“I'm excited just to go out there and be able to compete,” said Dosunmu ahead of Minnesota’s matchup against a reeling Chicago Bulls team, which recently lost their young star Caleb Wilson to a broken hand injury. “That's really the mindset that I have, you know. Everything that happened in the past is in the past. … I'm in a great situation, you know. I love it here, and I'm trying to just, you know, keep stacking, keep stacking wins. Each and every time, whatever the game on the schedule it is, I always go out there and compete my hardest and try to do whatever it takes to win. So it's not different than tonight.”
Dosunmu spent parts of five seasons with the Bulls, where he averaged 10.9 points per game on an efficient 60 true shooting percentage. The six-year NBA veteran is a Chicago native and played collegiately at the University of Illinois. For all intents and purposes, the trade to Minnesota was the first time Dosunmu was separated from his home for the long term.
“Initial conversations were basically, you know, ‘excited to have you, of course, just be you,’” said Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch pregame, reflecting on the moment after the Wolves acquired Dosunmu midseason. “We didn't really talk about the exit from, you know, his hometown team or anything like that. … He got a good handle on our culture early on here. I think he embraced that … we needed him, and once, you know, a few games went by … it was like he was always here. And so I think he felt that he was gonna get moved. And so probably some relief that the process was over… I know now he feels fortunate that he came to a place that, you know, needed him and values him.”
Article Continues BelowAyo Dosunmu will face the Bulls tonight for the first time since being traded to Minnesota.
The Chicago native went from Morgan Park to Illinois before being drafted by the Bulls in 2021 and spending the first five seasons of his NBA career in Chicago. pic.twitter.com/r13MCt34Xa
— BullsMuse (@BullsMuse_) November 14, 2026
Dosunmu has been a revelation for the Timberwolves during his time in the organization, as he was an integral spark plug during their playoff run last season, and has played his best basketball to date since being inserted into the starting lineup, replacing an injured Anthony Edwards.
In 12 games this season, the former Bull has averaged 18.1 points per game on a 62 true shooting percentage and 47 three-point shooting percentage. He’s also played superbly on the defensive side of the ball, posting a -0.2 Defensive Shot Quality Influence, which ranks in the top 20th percentile amongst players around the association this season. That number is especially impressive coming from the guard position.
When asked if there was any extra motivation playing against the team that drafted and then subsequently traded him, Dosunmu said, “Nah, I'm a competitor. But whether I’m playing against the Bulls or I’m playing against the Jazz or whether I'm playing against the Cavaliers. Like, it doesn't matter. I'm going out there each and everyday trying to prove myself just each and every day in this league, because this league is so good. … I'm going out there with the same aggression, with the same mentality to try and just keep getting better.”