Timberwolves Rumors: Discussing Rubio for Jackson?

The Timberwolves have reportedly discussed a trade that would send Ricky Rubio to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Reggie Jackson.

Earlier in the week, yet another Ricky Rubio rumor surfaced, once again courtesy of The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski. And once again, the rumor was exceedingly vague.

The Timberwolves have allegedly had Rubio available for trade since Tom Thibodeau took over last spring, but nothing specific has ever been reported outside of the potential draft night trade for the Bulls’ Jimmy Butler.

Now, thanks to a report from ESPN’s Marc Stein late on Friday, we have a potential name. And it’s probably not quite as bad as many Wolves fans may have feared.

In terms of straight talent and on-court impact combined with potential upside, Reggie Jackson is about as good as the Wolves are likely going to get for Rubio (or, as is likely the case, Rubio + Shabazz Muhammad) on the trade market.

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But let’s approach this by ticking off a number truths about the situation.

1. It isn’t clear that Reggie Jackson is a better player than Rubio. I would argue that he is not, but there’s certainly plenty of folks on both sides of that fence.
2. It should be fairly clear that Jackson would be a worse fit with the Wolves’ current roster than Rubio. Jackson is a high-usage player that used possessions at a 22 percent rate in Oklahoma City early in his career but still complained about his role in the offense. In parts of three seasons in Detroit, his usage rate is north of 27 percent.
3. While Jackson is certainly a better shooter than Rubio, he will demand (many) more shots. Last time I checked, Karl-Anthony Towns, Zach LaVine, and Andrew Wiggins are three fairly solid offensive players who are all far more efficient than Jackson. Sharing the ball would be rough.
4. We haven’t even discussed contract, and Jackson’s is slightly heftier than Rubio’s. In other words, he’s anything but the “bridge guard” that Wojnarowski suggested the Wolves are after.
5. I would argue that all of the above is true, but here’s the thing: if Tom Thibodeau and the Timberwolves are married to the idea of trading Rubio, they could do far worse.
6. That said, I firmly believe that forcing a Rubio trade would be a huge mistake — albeit one that Thibs has avoided making thus far, and his restraint has been fairly impressive.

The bottom line is, if a Rubio trade is inevitable, there are no doubt worse options out there. While Jackson’s age, upside, and three-point shooting ability are all positives, the contract, usage rate, and attitude are all significant red flags to consider.

Minnesota-based media folks seem to think that the Jackson rumor is more or less all talk, and that it wasn’t even initiated by the Timberwolves.

In other words, let’s not waste too much time thinking about this one, although it is intriguing to finally hear a player’s name suggested as a match in a potential trade.

I would have to believe that Stan Van Gundy and Detroit’s interest in Rubio is to find a pass-first point guard to play with their shooters, as the fit between Jackson and his teammates has been far from synergistic. For similar reasons, it’s clear why Thibodeau would be resisting.

Next: Timberwolves Come Back To Beat Clippers In L.A.

At this point, it’s seeming more and more likely that Rubio is moved, given his recent hot streak and their caution with his hip tightness on Thursday night that held him out of the second half against the Clippers. Hold on to your seats, Wolves fans. We could be in for a wild month of rumors.