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3 best teams suited to pick Ayo Dosunmu in the 2021 NBA Draft

By Rees Woodcock

Mar 1, 2020; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) and guard Trent Frazier (1) enter the court prior top the first half before a game against the Indiana Hoosiers at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 1, 2020; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) and guard Trent Frazier (1) enter the court prior top the first half before a game against the Indiana Hoosiers at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Illinois basketball
CHAMPAIGN, IL – JANUARY 10: Ayo Dosunmu #11 of the Illinois Fighting Illini dribbles the ball during the game against the Maryland Terrapins at State Farm Center on January 10, 2021 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

The 2021 NBA Draft is quickly approaching, and former Illinois basketball star Ayo Dosunmu is a near lock to be selected.

It isn’t a matter of if but more of a matter of when with Ayo being picked in the draft. His junior year at Illinois was a display for NBA scouts as Ayo put up 20.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game while helping his team to the No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Winning while putting up big numbers at the college level is a great recipe for being picked in the 2021 NBA Draft. Where will Ayo go, though? Most mock drafts have Ayo going somewhere in the late first round or early second round.

Taking that into consideration, let’s look at teams from pick No. 25 in the first round through pick No. 40 in the second round. Pick No. 40 in the second round would be the No. 10 pick that round but pick No. 40 overall.

I think this is a sweet spot where Ayo will be selected. So, we are going to take a look at the top three teams best suited to take Ayo in the 2021 NBA Draft. Each of the three teams will be in this stretch of picks.

Here are the three best teams to pick Ayo Dosunmu in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Los Angeles Clippers – 1st round, pick No. 25

The Los Angeles Clippers is the first team I come to that would be best suited for Ayo. They are currently down 2-1 to the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Finals. This team is talented but they also have some issues on the roster.

I like the Clippers because it is a winning team and Ayo isn’t just thrown into the fire with a dumpster fire of an organization. The Clippers are competitive, so he can learn how to win at the NBA level. That is important if Ayo wants to have sustained success.

Ayo could come into the Clippers organization and learn from some seasoned veterans. Sitting behind players like Kawhi Leonard, Reggie Jackson and Patrick Beverly would be great for his game. He could see how they do things and soak in how they go about their day. Ayo is smart. He would love the chance to learn from the best of the best.

The Clippers are an aging team as well. While Ayo would learn from the veterans on the team, most of those players are over the age of 30 years old. Jackson is 30, Beverly is 32, Lou Williams is 34 and even Kawhi is 29. This is an old team, so there is a chance two or three years down the road, Ayo will be able to move into a more prominent role on the team.

I like the Clippers as a potential landing spot. They are a winning organization. There are veterans for Ayo to learn from early on. And there is potential for Ayo to establish himself and be an impact player down the road.

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