More on Ricky Rubio Trade
Now that a Yahoo Sports report Tuesday said the Wolves are “actively shopping” him to make room eventually for rookie Kris Dunn, Rubio said before Thursday night’s game against the Clippers that he will just play on. “Just do what I do,” said Rubio, who went scoreless in the first half Thursday and didn’t play in the second because of tightness in his left hip. “My name or every name is going to be out there at some point, but you can only worry about things you can control. Right now, what I can control is playing my best and do what I’ve been doing.”
Jon Krawczynski: Before Wolves left for the road, Rubio was very encouraged by what he was seeing. My take: he wants to stay. But we'll see what happens. The Kris Dunn issue remains real. Definite feeling that he's going to one day be the PG here. So that certainly factors in to the thinking. But Thibs has shown that he's not ready to give Dunn heavy minutes yet. And that's why they're not going to give Rubio away.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are actively shopping point guard Ricky Rubio in trade proposals, league sources told The Vertical.
Minnesota has been seeking something of a “bridge” guard in return, a player capable of starting in the short term, but who’ll ultimately settle into a backup role and give way to rookie Kris Dunn to become the long-term starter, league sources said.
The Sacramento Kings have had a strong interest in acquiring Rubio, but there’s no traction on a deal between those two teams, league sources said. So far, the Timberwolves are trying to exhaust the market elsewhere for a better return of assets than the Kings can offer.
Chris Mannix: "The market for him [Ricky Rubio], despite that reasonable contract, has shriveled consistently because of how he has played this year."
The Sacramento Kings are the most determined of several teams expressing interest in finding a pathway to a Rubio deal, league sources said, but Minnesota president and coach Tom Thibodeau is reluctant to move Rubio – outside of bringing back a no-brainer package, of course – until Dunn’s progress illustrates this season that he’s ready to fully take over the team.
Hence the question: Do you still want to get traded? “I didn’t say I wanted to get traded,” Rubio said. “I want to play with a winner. I think we have the right mentality. It’s changing.”
NBA reporter Mitch Lawrence said on Sirius XM Radio a trade for a point guard was in the cards for the Sacramento Kings before the signed Ty Lawson: "I have heard in the last couple of weeks that the Kings were telling people, 'We're close to making a deal for a point guard'. And a lot of people thought that was going to be Ricky Rubio."
Darren Wolfson: As Taylor said on the Scoop podcast, Ricky Rubio starting year here. But Sac. has long admired him, as reported. #twolves - RT: SiriusXM NBA: @Mitch_Lawrence says the #Kings had been telling teams they were close to trading for a PG - was thought to be Ricky Rubio. Appears off now.
Though Minnesota is largely expected to hold onto Rubio as its starting point guard for the beginning of 2016-17, Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 said that Rubio might end up getting moved to another Western Conference team: the Sacramento Kings. Wolfson knows that Rubio will start the season as the Timberwolves’ starting point guard, but when Dunn elevates his play by midseason, Rubio could very well be shipped to lowly Kings of Northern California.
One thing Taylor did say is that he doesn’t believe point guard Ricky Rubio will be traded at this point. “I don’t see that as a likely possibility,” he said about a Rubio trade. “I just think the coach, everybody, likes Ricky. I think we want him to come in and improve on his shooting. But his other things, he plays defense, he gets assists, he helps the others get better. He has some wonderful qualities.
“I think the coach wants to bring an assistant coach to help Ricky on his shooting and I think that’s where we’re going to start out and go and we’ll see how good Kris Dunn is.”
Jon Krawczynski: Just hard to see how Rubio gets traded now. His contract makes him a bargain and hear that Thibs wants to work w/him. Expect him in camp
The Timberwolves were active in seeking a deal for Rubio before the NBA Draft, but around the league, the price was considered too high when deals were discussed last week. Thanks to a very thin point guard class, that could quickly change. “Check back around July 10, July 15,” one NBA general manager told Sporting News. “Once teams are left holding the bag, he’s going to be a pretty big target. They will get better offers, better ones than they have been.”
Depending on how free agency shakes out, league sources said there would be no shortage of teams interested in Rubio, including Philadelphia, Houston and the Bucks, who were unwilling to part with Khris Middleton to land Rubio four months ago. The Mavericks, with an interest in signing Mike Conley as a priority, would be a potential partner and a team for which Rubio might like to play.
Philadelphia explored the possibility of working a trade for Minnesota’s Ricky Rubio on draft night, though that would likely have to be a three-team deal in order to provide the Timberwolves with the kind of veteran help the Sixers lack. Rubio is expected to be available again this summer. The Sixers have also expressed interest with the Rockets in point guard Patrick Beverley, a source told Sporting News.
KC Johnson: Reported last night but bears repeating: When Dunn dropped past 3, TWolves offered Rubio and No. 5 pick for Butler. Bulls said no.
Shams Charania: Vertical Sources: Chicago and Minnesota talks for Jimmy Butler broke down. Bulls wanted Zach LaVine, not Ricky Rubio. Chicago wanted Zach LaVine and the No. 5 pick, Kris Dunn, sources tell The Vertical.
Ricky Rubio: Next season is key. It's a key season because the truth is that I've been five years in the NBA and six years without playoffs would be a long time without experiencing the playoffs. I would be 26 years old and I would have to start thinking about being on a team that can make the playoffs and win.
The Milwaukee Bucks made several overtures to Wolves GM Milt Newton, and the rumors stung Rubio. Rubio said Newton told him that he was "almost traded, but we didn't because the other team didn't offer what we wanted." "When the GM comes to you and says that's what happened, it hurts, but you've got to be professional," Rubio said. "You've been here all your career and thinking they were supporting you. At some point, they weren't. But I'm professional. I'm going to give it my all. I love playing basketball and every time I step on the court I want to win."
But Newton believes Rubio may have misinterpreted the conversation the two had after the trade deadline passed. "I told him we've never, ever called another team to trade you, but it is my job to listen," Newton said. "I even shared that with his agent. I never told him we almost traded you, because we didn't almost trade him."
Newton said he would have further conversations with Rubio to clear up any misunderstanding. He called Rubio "extremely valuable to the organization" and said he has already run some possible roster moves by him to get his point guard's input. "I know that he needs a little bit more communication," said Newton, who took over as the team's front office leader after Flip Saunders died in October. "If that's what it takes for a player to play to the best of his ability, those are things I'll have to realize and facilitate."
"Before the All-Star break they talked about the possibility of trading me because if the team is not going well they always want to make changes. Now I feel comfortable and I think they're not going to trade me anywhere," Ricky Rubio told 'Tot Gira' Spanish radio show of Catalunya Radio.
Jon Krawczynski: Lot of questions about Rubio-Middleton talks tonight. Here's what I was told at the time from multiple people... Bucks called several times that week trying to get Rubio. Each time they were told "Khris Middleton has to be involved to have talks." And each time the Bucks said they wouldn't part with Middleton. So that was the end of that.
After some initial talks, the Wolves told Milwaukee they would swap Ricky Rubio for Khris Middelton, and when the Bucks declined, Minnesota even discussed the possibility of tossing in a protected 2016 first-round pick, per league sources familiar with the matter. Other outlets have reported Milwaukee's interest in Rubio -- Jason Kidd seems to have a thing for rangy point guards with busted jumpers -- but Milwaukee never seriously entertained trading Middleton, sources say.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker were never on the block, leaving Milwaukee with only one real counter: a point guard challenge trade of Michael Carter-Williams for Rubio. Minnesota obviously wasn't doing that, and the discussions died, sources say.
Ricky Rubio: "Never being safe comes with the job. I was confident they wanted me here. When the team is not working, they always try to improve things. This time it was my turn to be mentioned in trade rumors, but I'm still here and I feel confident."
Maybe they'd have a better shot at a postseason berth if Phil Jackson & Co. upgraded the roster prior to Thursday's deadline. The Knicks expressed interest in guards Jeff Teague, Ricky Rubio and Kevin Martin but didn’t execute a deal. Jackson said last week that he didn’t have a strong cadre of assets to use in potential trades, so it’s not a huge surprise that the Knicks couldn’t strike a deal for an impact player.
"It's fun to see all the trades," he said. "Unless it's you. I mean, it's all rumors and if it happens, it happens. When your name is out there, it's not fun. But it's part of the business." This year, his name was often rumored and after Thursday's 2 p.m. deadline Wolves GM Milt Newton said he fielded calls from teams -- Milwaukee and New York, among them -- interested in Rubio, as his job requires him to do, but said he never sent a call out shopping Rubio around.
Darren Wolfson: Milt says he didn't make any Rubio calls. Took enough.
Ian Begley: Knicks recently expressed interest in Ricky Rubio, source confirms, but it's unlikely anything happens. NY Post earlier reported the talks.
Rambis said he expects to be notified if anything — even something minor — is on the table. According to a source, Knicks general manager Steve Mills had discussions with Minnesota about point guard Ricky Rubio, whom Rambis coached in his failed run with the Timberwolves and would meet Knicks president Phil Jackson’s preference for taller guards. However, the Knicks are convinced Rubio won’t be dealt.
Minnesota hasn't been actively searching for a trade for point guard Ricky Rubio this week, but that is likely to change this summer, league sources told The Vertical. Minnesota may start canvassing the market for a better shooting point guard to pair with young stars Karl Anthony-Towns and Andrew Wiggins. One NBA coach who has long been enamored with Rubio, league sources said: Milwaukee's Jason Kidd. The New York Knicks' desire to find a point guard could lead them to Rubio, too.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Minnesota has no ongoing trade talks for guard Ricky Rubio now, league sources tell @The Vertical. That may change in the summer, though.
Jason Snyder: Rumor: Timberwolves making Ricky Rubio available at trade deadline http://wp.me/p14QT0-3e3L really? - Darren Wolfson: Reads like a leak from Rubio camp. But I've said many times that the Wolves aren't married to him. But they're not shopping.
Darren Wolfson: Reads like a leak from Rubio camp. But are Wolves married to him like others? No. Flip never was. So you listen. Nothing close.
Minnesota’s youth and depth could lead to a possible trade of point guard Ricky Rubio, whose name surfaced amid the rumors as a possible target for the Pacers (2), along with Atlanta’s Jeff Teague.
Zach LaVine was nothing short of spectacular in winning his second straight Slam Dunk title on Saturday and by the end of this week he may win something else; the starting point guard job for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Incumbent Ricky Rubio is readily available and the feeling is that the Spanish guard could be moved prior to Thursday's NBA trade deadline.
Darren Wolfson: Here’s a quote from #Twolves boss Milt Newton on the Rubio trade talk: “To this point, no one has called us about Ricky. Whatever is out there is not accurate. Will someone call? I don’t know, but if that happens, it behooves the organization that I listen.” - Scott Korzenowski: Didn't exactly deny that Wolves are shopping him, though. Just said no one has called. - Darren Wolfson: I've texted some non-Wolves FO folks and nobody has told me they're shopping him. But are the Wolves married to him? I'd say no.
As you are going forward with the franchise, you had a lot of losing and you don’t take losing easily. Was there a period of time where you thought, “Maybe this isn’t a good fit that isn’t going to work out”? Now, of course, you are in a situation where you have a long-term contract and there are a couple of cornerstone talents on the roster, which are so important in the NBA. Can you describe that evolution? Ricky Rubio: No, I never thought about leaving this franchise, for a lot of reasons. One of them is because they trusted me from the beginning. And I trust them. My first year I think we would have made the playoffs if I wouldn’t get hurt, but like I said, you can’t blame it on what happened — we didn’t make the playoffs. But I feel like I really didn’t have the opportunity to take this team to the playoffs. My first year we almost did it, my second year I was hurt. My third year we won 40 games, which is a pretty good amount, and then last year I got hurt again.
What do you think prompted the Rubio trade rumors? Do you think other teams called to see if he might be available, or was it something prompted on the TWolves side to gauge interest? Jerry Zgoda: My hunch is most of that is driven by his agent and uninformed media people. Certainly, they'd trade him if they can upgrade there and get more of a scoring point guard but they're not trading him to make room for Andre and Tyus. That's complete, utter nonsense
Jon Krawczynski: After rumors swirled this month & w/camp looming, Wolves GM Milt Newton tells AP: "We're not talking to anybody about trading Ricky."
Jon Krawczynski: Wolves GM Milt Newton tells AP that Rubio "is an integral part of our team" and "one of the best facilitators in the NBA."
It will be interesting to see how patient Mitchell is with point guard Ricky Rubio. The Wolves want Rubio to relax at long last, to understand he's no longer thought of as the franchise's savior -- or not even one of the team's top three talents. But it wasn't Mitchell who gave Rubio a $56 million extension last year -- it was Saunders, wearing his Prez O'Basketball Ops hat.
Ric Bucher: I'm hearing that the Minnesota Timberwolves are actually looking at potentially moving Ricky Rubio.
But Rubio, in Dubai to add star power to the BasicBall Academy summer camps at the Dubai World Trade Centre, denied he was about to move to the Big Apple or anywhere else. He told Gulf News he believes he will stay with his first and so far only NBA team. “I have confidence that the team wants me but you know in this league anybody can get traded,” said the flashy playmaker. “You don’t listen to the rumours. You just live day-by-day and that’s it.” When asked if he wanted to stay with the long-suffering Timberwolves, Rubio gave a firm: “Yes.”
