Ricky Rubio Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Rubio, Faried, Jazz

December 16th, 2016 at 8:55pm CST by Austin Kent

“The market for Ricky Rubio has shriveled,” says The Vertical’s Chris Mannix in a video segment published on Twitter. The 26-year-old point guard’s days in the Timberwolves‘ starting lineup may be numbered since the franchise drafted Kris Dunn fifth overall in the summer, and his poor play early this season has some experts wondering whether the team will look to move on sooner than later. In 20 games with the T-Wolves this season, Rubio has posted just 6.9 points per game on .368 shooting, the latter being perhaps the biggest negative limiting the playmaker’s trade value.

“What NBA team out there actually needs a point guard?” asks Bobby Marks in the same video. “It’s almost like a quarterback in the NFL. Unless you need one, you’re not going to give up the farm to acquire one.”

Elsewhere in the Central Division:

Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried‘s name has long been mentioned in trade rumors, but the time for a deal is now, writes Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post. “While insisting he does not blame Faried, it’s obvious [head coach] Michael Malone has lost a little faith in his sixth-year veteran,” says Kiszla, “which echoes the turbulent relationship between Faried and Malone’s predecessor on the Denver bench, Brian Shaw.”
The Jazz were a popular choice to improve this season in the NBA’s annual GM survey, but more recently it has been Utah’s former All-Star point guard Deron Williams singing their praise. “They definitely have an identity now,” says Williams to Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “They have a great mix of youth and then experience, adding Joe Johnson and Boris Diaw and George Hill, guys like that to complement the young guys they have.”
Russell Westbrook has been on a tear for the majority of the 2016/17 campaign thus far – including a streak of seven consecutive triple-doubles – but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have down days. Sam Amick details the Thunder point guard’s recent “rare and revealing struggles” for USA Today.

Northwest Notes: Thunder, Rubio, Wolves, Jazz

December 12th, 2016 at 10:27am CST by Luke Adams

Not every NBA team has a D-League affiliate, and the 22 teams that do have their own NBADL squads use those affiliates in a variety of ways. Perhaps no NBA club has been more creative than the Thunder when it comes to making use of the D-League, writes Chris Reichert of The Step Back. As Reichert details, Oklahoma City has made a habit out using second-round picks – or even late first-round picks – to draft players who will be amenable to playing for the OKC Blue.

While those players accept modest salaries by agreeing to play on D-League contracts rather than overseas, the Thunder have shown that they’re willing to reward that loyalty down the road, with players like Josh Huestis and Semaj Christon now having earned spots on the team’s 15-man NBA roster. Dakari Johnson, the 48th overall pick in 2015, and Daniel Hamilton, this year’s No. 56 pick, are among the current OKC Blue players seeking an eventual call-up to the Thunder.

Here’s more from around the Northwest division:

The Timberwolves are tied for the second-worst record in the NBA, and Ricky Rubio isn’t happy with the team’s effort, telling reporters after a recent loss to Detroit that played with no “heart” or “desire.” Rubio, who is considered a possible trade candidate, said over the summer that he wants to play with a winning team, expressing optimism at that time that the Wolves could turn into a winner. That certainly hasn’t happened early on in the 2016/17 campaign.
Timberwolves head coach and team president Tom Thibodeau is still getting accustomed to his dual role in Minnesota, telling Rod Beard of The Detroit News that he has looked at Stan Van Gundy in Detroit as a model for how to handle and delegate those responsibilities.
The Jazz have spent several years rebuilding their roster, and are starting to come into their own, but with so many players eligible for extensions or nearing free agency, the team could soon face a turning point, writes Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. We recently took a closer look at Utah’s extension candidates in a Community Shootaround discussion.

Trade Candidate: Ricky Rubio

December 8th, 2016 at 5:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

In the months leading up to February’s trade deadline, Hoops Rumors will be taking a closer look at several players we consider trade candidates, discussing their value, speculating on potential destinations, and explaining why they are – or should be – available. These players won’t necessarily be dealt in advance of the deadline, but it won’t be surprising if they are.

Ricky Rubio, PG
Minnesota Timberwolves
2016/17 salary: $13,550,000
Eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2019
Trade restrictions: None

There seems to be an uneasy truce these days between the Timberwolves and their starting point guard. The way that the Timberwolves’ offseason unfolded, it’s somewhat surprising that Ricky Rubio remains their floor leader. It probably won’t be that way much longer, though Rubio has done little to enhance his trade value through the first six weeks of the season.

Once Tom Thibodeau was hired as the head coach and president of basketball operations, Rubio’s exit seemed like a foregone conclusion. Rubio was shopped prior to the draft, as Thibodeau pursued a deal for the Bulls’ Jimmy Butler. One of the reasons that that potential deal fell through was the Chicago wanted Zach LaVine, instead of Rubio, as part of the package.

The Timberwolves wound up with their fallback plan, which was to select the top point guard in the draft to presumably take Rubio’s job. Kris Dunn dropped to the No. 5 spot, which Thibodeau didn’t mind since he was reportedly atop his draft board.

Supposedly, Thibodeau got some offers for Rubio during the summer, but nothing that compelled him to pull the trigger. Eventually, the Timberwolves opted to take a wait-and-see approach, giving Dunn time to acclimate himself to the NBA game while Rubio held the fort as the starter during the early portion of the season.

What’s happened since the season began may not be a worse-case scenario, but it’s pretty close. First, Rubio missed five games with an elbow injury. Upon returning, his play has been substandard while the Timberwolves, who were expected to be one of the most improved teams in the Western Conference, have floundered.

His shooting, never his strong suit anyway, has been woeful. He’s made 34.5% of his field-goal attempts and 22.9% of his 3-point tries. His assists are down to an average of 6.7 per game over 30.6 minutes, though his turnover numbers (1.9) remain respectable. His current 12.1 PER is well below the league average of 15.0.

By comparison, Rubio has averaged at least 8.6 assists per game the past three seasons while playing a comparable amount of minutes.

Perhaps the only reason why Rubio has kept his starting position is that Dunn struggled in the early going himself, though that appears to be changing. According to Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Dunn’s shot looked as good as it has all season on Tuesday, when he made all but one of his field-goal attempts and scored 15 points against the Spurs. Moreover, as Souhan noted, Rubio is the picture of frustration these days whose veteran leadership is being outweighed by his lack of production.

The pairing of Dunn and talented combo guard LaVine as the starting backcourt will probably happen soon. Minnesota also has another recent first-round pick, Tyus Jones, in line to take an expanded reserve role. The only reason to delay the inevitable at this point would be hope Rubio gets into a better groove, which would make it easier to move him.

Rubio’s contract, given the rise in salaries to coincidence with jump in the salary cap, is reasonable. He’s making $13.55MM this season and has two guaranteed years remaining at $14.25MM and $14.95MM, respectively. If another team views Rubio as an upgrade to their current point guard situation, those figures are certainly not prohibitive.

So which teams out there might want a flashy if offensively-challenged point man who at 26 years old should be in his prime? The Kings were reportedly one of his pursuers this summer and their point situation hasn’t improved. Darren Collison is averaging 4.7 assists, compared to 2.2 turnovers, and journeyman Ty Lawson is also getting steady playing time. Sacramento is overloaded with young bigs on its roster and has also been trying to move small forward Rudy Gay, who can become an unrestricted free agent after the season if he opts out.

Which other teams might be a match for Rubio? The Nets, who lead the league in having offer sheets to restricted free agents matched, have been looking to upgrade their roster. Current starter Jeremy Lin has been injured and seems like a short-term fix, anyway, with rookie Isaiah Whitehead behind him.

The suddenly woebegone Mavericks could seek a younger replacement to Deron Williams and the Pelicans might consider such a move, considering Jrue Holiday is oft-injured and heading into the free agent market this summer.

The Sixers, with Sergio Rodriguez currently running the show, could use a heady point guard to feed the ball to their stable of bigs. Another intriguing option might be the Spurs, taking into account Tony Parker‘s mileage and recent injury history. The Hawks chose to hand the controls of their attack to Dennis Schroder but with an offense currently ranked No. 27 in efficiency, they might rethink that plan.

Minnesota could also wait on a contender that suffers a point guard injury — the Grizzlies and Mike Conley already fit that category, though they’re paying Conley way too much to take on a salary like Rubio’s as a fill-in at the same position.

Rubio is undoubtedly a better player than he’s shown this season. In his last two full seasons — he was injured most of the 2014/15 campaign — he had a VORP (Value Over Replacement Player) of 2.3 each time. That translates to approximately six wins per season over a replacement player. Rubio is not only one of the league’s most prolific distributors, he’s typically near the top of the steals categories, generating a couple of easy baskets per game for his club.

What’s apparent is that Rubio is not the long-term starter for Minnesota. By drafting Dunn in the lottery, the Timberwolves basically told Rubio that he was just a placeholder for their preferred option at the point. If Rubio is still wearing their uniform by the end of the season, it will speak more toward his declining trade value than their reluctance to give him a fresh start.

What do you think? Should the Timberwolves trade or keep Rubio? Which team would be the best fit for Rubio? Weigh in below in the comments section with your thoughts and possible trade ideas.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Western Rumors: Rubio, Lakers, Westbrook, Griffin

November 26th, 2016 at 3:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio is off to a disastrous start, due to an elbow sprain and his struggles to run new coach Tom Thibodeau’s scheme, according to Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Rubio is averaging 6.1 points on 32.7% shooting and a career-low 6.7 assists in 29.9 minutes. “I think everybody’s got to look at the mirror and see if they’re bringing everything in the game,” Rubio told Zgoda. “Talking personally, I’m not doing it and I have to do it more. I have to be more aggressive. I have to find myself again and lead this team like I’m supposed to.” Rubio’s name has often popped up in trade rumors, particularly after the team drafted Kris Dunn in the lottery in June. He has two years and $29.2MM remaining on his contract after this season but his poor play isn’t enhancing his value.

In other developments around the Western Conference:

Injuries have put a damper on the Lakers’ hot start, Eric Pincus of the Bleacher Report writes. D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and Nick Young all sat out against the Warriors on Friday with various ailments. Jose Calderon, Jordan Clarkson and rookie Brandon Ingram were thrust into the lineup, weakening the team’s bench. “It’s hard. It’s hard losing big pieces of our team,” Clarkson told Pincus. “We need a team to beat anybody in this league. With everybody back, we’re a complete team.”
Thunder coach Billy Donovan is trying to not overwork his franchise player, point guard Russell Westbrook, Erik Horne of The Oklahoman reports. Westbrook is averaging 35.2 minutes after the team’s overtime victory against the Nuggets on Friday. That’s an uptick from the past two seasons, when he averaged 34.4 minutes during each campaign, but Donovan is satisfied by the way he’s managing Westbrook’s playing time. “Outside the overtime games, I’m pretty pleased at where his minutes have been,” Donovan said. “We’ve been pretty fortunate there.”
Clippers coach Doc Rivers said there’s a simple reason for forward Blake Griffin‘s hot start. “His health,” Rivers told the media prior to Friday’s game at Detroit. “He, I thought, was going to have this (type of) year last year. Just getting injured kind of sidetracked him. Even before he was injured (with a quad issue), his knee was bothering him. You can tell he worked all summer on his game and he has great focus.” Griffin, who will be one of the hottest unrestricted free agents on the market next summer, is averaging 21.4 points and 8.7 rebounds in 33.0 minutes.

Western Notes: Nowitzki, Rubio, Beverley

November 11th, 2016 at 5:44pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Mavs big man Dirk Nowitzki, who is recovering from a strained right Achilles tendon, told Marc Stein of ESPN.com, that he has resumed on-court work as he moves toward a return to the lineup. “It’s definitely better, but I really haven’t done much yet,” Nowitzki told Stein. “Today was good, but we didn’t go anything close to full speed. Just started moving on the court a bit. We don’t want to rush anything and go back to where we were last week. So if I feel anything this weekend, they’re going to ease off again. Obviously I want to play in the Garden on Monday [against the Knicks] and I want to play in Boston [on Wednesday] — two of my favorite road spots. But I just don’t know at this point if it’s going to happen.”

Here’s more from out West:

Ricky Rubio, who has been out of action after suffering a sprained right elbow, may be nearing a return after practicing with the Wolves today, the team announced (via Twitter).
Rockets guard Patrick Beverley, who underwent knee surgery last month, could be cleared to return to practice as early as next week, Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). If that is indeed the case, Beverley could be back in Houston’s rotation by the end of November, Watkins adds.
James Harden has been impressive for the Rockets under new head coach Mike D’Antoni, but despite the guard putting up NBA-worthy numbers for Houston, the team still has work to do in order to be considered contenders, Oliver Maroney of Basketball Insiders writes. “We pretty much think James can do anything in Houston,” Morey told Basketball Insiders. “We’re happy he is showing it but we aren’t focused on it – we’re trying to improve the defense and get more wins. James is playing great. He’s the leader we need to go deep into the playoffs.”
Lance Stephenson, who was recently waived by the Pelicans after sustaining an injury, was a “model citizen” during his time in New Orleans, team sources told Stein in a separate article.

Western Notes: Thompson, Rubio, Finney-Smith

November 7th, 2016 at 6:42pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson denied a suggestion that his early season struggles were a result of the team’s offseason addition of Kevin Durant, Ethan Sherwood Strauss of ESPN.com relays. “Not at all,” Thompson said when asked if his cold spell had anything to do with Durant. “I struggled last year for the first 20 games, and Kevin wasn’t here. So it has nothing to do with Kevin. So last year I struggled, then I went on a tear, so it’s just like any other season. Obviously we have different players, but I’m still getting the shots I always got before he was here, so it’s not on Kevin at all.” Thompson, who made 42.5% of his three-point shots during the 2015/16 campaign, has shot only 19.6% from beyond the arc through the Warriors’ first six outings.

Here’s more from out West:

Ricky Rubio, who has missed the Wolves‘ last three contests due to a sprained right elbow, is making steady progress in his recovery, according to coach/executive Tom Thibodeau, Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune relays. No timetable has been relayed regarding when the point guard can return to action, Zgoda adds.
Spurs rookie Dejounte Murray credits much of his success and development to the influence of Clippers veteran Jamal Crawford, who has mentored the rookie for years, writes Rowan Kavner of NBA.com. “It means a lot,” Murray said of Crawford’s assistance. “When you’re successful, a professional athlete, you can help a lot of others. That’s one thing he did, is help me get to where I’m at today. I’m trying to have a long career like he has. He’s 36, he’s played a lot of years. He’s successful, and he’s still climbing in that top 100 scoring list. He’s a great dude.”
Mavericks rookie Dorian Finney-Smith has been pressed into action due to injuries on the team, but he is quickly earning the trust of the coaching staff with his strong play, Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders writes. “Finney-Smith is a more-experienced player in the American game,” coach Rick Carlisle said after Tuesday night’s game. “He’s an excellent defender. We don’t normally do it, but he got the game ball tonight. He was plus-19 when he was on the floor and Milwaukee was only 0.56 points per possession when he was on the floor. Other guys are doing it too, but it’s not a coincidence that the game changed on some level when he was out there.”

Ricky Rubio Out Indefinitely With Elbow Sprain

November 1st, 2016 at 10:06am CST by Luke Adams

Ricky Rubio sprained his right elbow during the fourth quarter of the Timberwolves’ loss to Sacramento on Saturday night, and will be out indefinitely, the team announced in a press release. Rubio, the team’s starting point guard, will be replaced in the lineup by rookie Kris Dunn.

While the Timberwolves didn’t provide a recovery schedule for Rubio, who will likely be re-evaluated at some point to determine a more definitive timetable, a severe elbow sprain could sideline him for a few weeks. During that time, Minnesota will have the opportunity to take a look at Dunn, this year’s fifth overall pick, in an expanded role.

While Rubio’s absence will have an impact on the Wolves’ rotation, it shouldn’t put any pressure on them to make a roster move, since they already have plenty of depth at point guard. In addition to Rubio and Dunn, the club is carrying Tyus Jones and John Lucas III. Zach LaVine is also capable of handling a few minutes at the point if necessary.

Stein’s Latest: Blazers, Gay, Noel, Rubio, Cousins

October 28th, 2016 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Within his latest column at ESPN.com, Marc Stein offers up 10 “fearless predictions,” forecasting 20 triple-doubles this season for Russell Westbrook, a win total in the low-60s for the Warriors, and a single player (James Harden) leading the league in both points and assists per game. A few of Stein’s predictions for the 2016/17 league year also relate to player movement, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights…

Many “league observers” believe that the Trail Blazers‘ aggressive spending this offseason was more about collecting assets than anything else, says Stein. Portland has an excess of wings and big men, and is considered the team most likely to make a trade this season, according to the ESPN scribe. It would certainly make sense for the Blazers to move one of their bigger long-term contracts — they already have nearly $130MM in guaranteed money on their cap for next year (2017/18).
Stein suggests he expects Rudy Gay (Kings), Nerlens Noel (Sixers), and Ricky Rubio (Wolves) to be dealt at some point this season. All three players have been the subject of plenty of trade rumors so far in 2016.
While he’s less confident about a DeMarcus Cousins trade, Stein says that February figures to be dominated by trade speculation about the Kings big man. As Stein notes, Sacramento is “determined” to contend for the playoffs this season, so if the team remains in the hunt in February, perhaps Cousins stays put. But if the Kings hang onto him, they’ll have to be confident they have a chance to re-sign him, since his trade value would take a hit in the final year of his contract, Stein writes.

Wolves Keeping Ricky Rubio For Now

October 19th, 2016 at 7:06pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Wolves are turning away trade offers for Ricky Rubio until they see how Kris Dunn performs, Adrian Wojnarowski of the Vertical reports. Coach Tom Thibodeau doesn’t anticipate Dunn taking over as the starting point guard position until approximately 20 games into the season, Wojnarowski adds. Until then, Rubio will be the team’s starter and remain on the roster, barring a substantial offer.

Several teams have expressed interest in Rubio, with the Kings being the most determined to land the 25-year-old. Sacramento has been looking to acquire a young point guard to lead the team for some time. It’s not clear what the Kings are willing to offer, but the team was engaged in serious trade talks with the Thunder on a deal that would have sent Rudy Gay to Oklahoma City in exchange for Cameron Payne. Those talks broke down after Payne injured his foot last month, sources tell Wojnarowski.

Thibodeau is determined to win games and make the playoffs this season. Such thinking could factor into what transactions the franchise makes this year.

Rubio, who has three years and slightly under $43MM left on his contract, has been solid during his time in Minnesota. Yet, Dunn has a much higher upside and it’s only a matter of time before Rubio takes a backseat to the rookie, as I discussed in Minnesota’s Offseason In Review.

Wolves Notes: Thibodeau, Muhammad, Rubio

October 5th, 2016 at 6:32pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Wolves coach/executive Tom Thibodeau didn’t want to make too many personnel moves during his first offseason with the team, instead, he wanted a chance to evaluate Minnesota’s talent during the preseason to determine which pieces of the core were going to be in his plans moving forward, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com relays. “I liked the core of the team. I want to get to know them better,” Thibs said. “I’m going to focus on the players we have. That gives me a better idea of what our needs are. It’s like building a house. We’re still working on the foundation.”

Here’s more from Minnesota:

Thibodeau named Peter Patton the team’s shooting coach in part because he was highly recommended by Chip Engelland, the legendary shooting coach of the Spurs, Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune passes along. “He’s had an opportunity to work with a number of our players already. I like his background. I like that he’s worked with Chip before and that’s important to us,” Thibodeau.
Shabazz Muhammad spent his summer working defense and he believes the arrival of Thibodeau will help me become a more complete player, Youngblood writes in a seperate piece. “It’s crazy,” Muhammad said. “I already feel like I’ve gotten way smarter on defense with just the things Coach has been explaining to us. Just attention to detail, his defensive scheme. This is my fourth year and I’m getting the terms down.” The UCLA product is currently eligible for an extension.
There have been Ricky Rubio trade rumors all offseason and Bradford Doolittle of ESPN.com believes it’s the right time for the Wolves to sell the 25-year-old. Doolittle argues that the team should trade Rubio for some shooting on the wing if rookie Kris Dunn is ready to start at the point.

Eddie Scarito contributed to this post