The idea of the Timberwolves trading starting point guard Ricky Rubio in the wake of drafting Kris Dunn fifth-overall in June’s draft has persisted, but owner Glen Taylor says that a Rubio trade is not a ‘likely possibility’.
We’ve talked at length here at Dunking With Wolves about the possibility of the Timberwolves trading Ricky Rubio, as the rumors began in earnest just under a month ago on the night of the NBA Draft.
The questions are reasonable, of course, as the Wolves did use a top-five draft pick on a 22 year-old point guard. And then, the great Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! and The Vertical stated, more or less, that Rubio would be moved.
Minnesota has been shopping Ricky Rubio throughout the week. His future in Minnesota is likely coming to an end.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 24, 2016
Ah, draft night and the immediate reactions were intense. If the Woj says it, it shall be, right? Everyone seemed to think that Rubio was on his way out.
I wrote about Rubio’s value to the Timberwolves after one Star Tribune columnist ripped on the Spaniard in a cheap hit piece, but as we moved into the NBA free agency period, the chatter surrounding Rubio died down considerably.
But the news of late has centered on the realization that Tom Thibodeau, who no doubt has designs on a playoff spot come next spring, is unlikely to hand over the helm of his team to a rookie point guard with severe decision-making/turnover issues. Thibs won’t say it, of course, but he wants to make the playoffs. And you simply can’t do that with a rookie running the show.
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If nothing else, it makes sense to keep Rubio as the starter and see what happens when playing he and Dunn together in limited minutes this fall, as well as what Dunn’s progress looks like and where the team is at come the February trade deadline.
And now, Wolves owner Glen Taylor was fairly candid in discussing Rubio’s future with the Timberwolves when talking to the Star Tribune’s Sid Hartman.
"One thing Taylor did say is that he doesn’t believe point guard Ricky Rubiowill 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.”"
Reassuring, one would think. But things change quickly, obviously, and Taylor will be leaving the basketball decisions up to Thibodeau and general manager Scott Layden.
Hartman and Taylor also discussed NBA labor laws, the Wolves’ largely inactive free agency period, and expectations (or lack thereof) for the 2016-17 season. Be sure to head over to their site to check the piece out in it’s entirety.
Next: No Major Free Agent Signings Are Not A Problem For Wolves
We’ll have coverage of Monday night’s Las Vegas Summer League championship game as well, so we’ll see you back here this evening for that. Enjoy your Monday.