Three Teams That Could Trade for Timberwolves’ Ricky Rubio
By Noelyhoops
Denver
This situation is most likely if Dragan Bender or Jamal Murray falls to #5. Denver would like to add a young shooter as they gear up for the long run, while adding Rubio would take pressure off of young point guard Emmanuel Mudiay and allow him to hone his off-ball skills.
The caveat is that the Timberwolves or the Pelicans, picking at #6, need to be threats to take the available prospect. This won’t take much salesmanship, as both teams could also use new shooting specialists.
The Timberwolves would add an athletic power forward in Faried, whom would become the immediate starter. His strength would be appreciated as Karl-Anthony Towns continues to fill out his frame, while his ability to run the floor makes him a natural fit for Minnesota’s athletic young core.
Nurkic is a young center that spent most of the 2015-16 season off the court with an injury following an impressive rookie campaign. Denver won’t mind sending him off after Nikola Jokic proved his ability to be a top notch NBA center during Nurkic’s absence.
Finally, moving down to the #7 pick would almost certainly allow the Timberwolves to draft Buddy Hield while retaining a sliver of a chance at drafting Dunn, Bender, or Murray should one of them slip past their projected spot.
Next: A Defensive-Minded Trade