If Ricky Rubio Really Wanted to Screw Minnesota
Ricky Rubio
We met Ricky Rubio and his family in the Dime/Levi’s Draft suite. Though it was a brief interaction, they didn’t seem like the type of people who would throw a giant temper tantrum until they got exactly what they wanted.
By fretting about going to Minneapolis, Rubio’s team has inspired virtually every NBA squad to make an offer for him. But David Kahn is holding the line. If Rubio really wants to screw the T-Wolves, he does have one option though.
Over at True Hoop, Henry Abbott points out that Rubio is generally at the mercy of the Wolves in most situations except for one.
The Rubio camp does still have a big hammer, though, and it’s one that has almost never been used.
Rubio can sit out a year, and re-enter next year’s draft.
The way the collective bargaining agreement works, the Timberwolves hold Rubio’s NBA rights so long as they make him an offer, and he plays professional ball in some FIBA-sanctioned league, which is just about all of the leagues he’d consider playing in.
But if he doesn’t play professionally anywhere, then he can be right back in next year’s draft.
You can only do this once — no one can be drafted more than twice.
Abbott suggests a Nike barnstorming tour instead, which would clearly create a lot of buzz. If you dream big enough, Rubio could play in special games televised on pay-per-view to make some extra money.
However, there are two major dangers of even considering something like this. (1) The general impression of Ricky as a nice, marketable kid would change drastically. He’d quickly turn into one of the most-hated sports figures around. (2) There’s always the chance that Minnesota could draft him again in 2010. Then it would all be for naught.
A crazy hypothetical situation – and if our interaction with Rubio was any real reflection on the type of person that he is, there’s no way he’d do something like this.
Source: True Hoop
July 2nd, 2009 at 8:54 am
josh tha roc says:
ricky loves playin ball. this is stupid. he will play for the t’wolves.
July 2nd, 2009 at 8:58 am
Kobeef says:
It would be bad for his career to take an entire year off but otherwise this route would be pretty funny.
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:00 am
ToAn says:
the media are really making people hate Rubio…i didn’t hear one comment from the rubio camp about what is going on, but that doesn’t stop the media from speculations of all sorts…i don’t like this shit..everybody knew he needs a buyout before the draft and now everybody is talking shit about how he hates minnesota, how he wants to play in europe etc…and now THIS…that he won’t play at all..that is the dumbest thing i heard in a long time…and it puts rubio in a bad light even though he didn’t do nothing wrong to this date.
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:04 am
Correction says:
This isn’t correct though. Because he still has two years left on his contract with DKV, and under the NBA CBA, if you are under contract with a FIBA sanctioned team, then the team that drafted you still own your rights. So he would need to wait until those two years are done, or buy them out, and then sit a year.
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:12 am
rodnets says:
come on dime, you can do better than this
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:17 am
Heri and Scott says:
Rubio will be a Knick!
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:21 am
c-viz says:
he is only 19?? take a year off and work on the scrawny body and weak jumper. the buzz would be great for him and the NBA. the anticipation would be insane!! the NBA loves stuff like that. Trust me, David Stern does not want Rubio in Minnesota.
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:24 am
MNTwolves says:
I still think Rubio would be playing with the T’wolves this season
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:25 am
c-viz says:
2010 draft John Wall #1 – Rubio #2 BTW Kemba Walker is next years Johnny Flynn. Pre-season second rond, post, season top-ten
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:26 am
MNTwolves says:
By the way, Kahn is a Stern guy. So, I think Rubio would still end up in Minnesota
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:34 am
MNTwolves says:
Why did you think Rubio end up in laps of the Wolves at #5?
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:35 am
MNTwolves says:
Why else would Rubio end up in the laps of the Wolves at #5?
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:36 am
Martin says:
the thing is Rubio wants to wait 2 years before going to Minnesota. Then HE WILL PLAY for the T-Wolves. I’m in Barcelona, and radio is his father just said that. So Ricky is staying 2 more years in Spain.
I think is good for him, even good for you. He has to improve before going there. He has to be the best in Spain to go there to be a good player. Now a day, he is just a promise, not a reality.
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:43 am
jdstorm says:
@MINTwolves Because all the other teams wanted someone else.
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:46 am
Xavier Garcia says:
The problem isnt the Wolves, its the buyout. His dad was just quoted saying as much:
“El número 5 y Minnesota es lo mejor que le podría haber pasado a Ricky. Podría pasar dos años sin ir a la NBA. Saliendo antes tendría que haber ido seguro y tendríamos que hablar con bancos para pagar la cláusula, y tendría que estar dos años jugando gratis”.
Meaning
“The number 5 and Minnesota are the best thing that could have happened to Ricky. He can spend two years and then go play in the NBA. If he got drafted earlier he would have gone for sure and we would have to talk with banks to pay the buyout clause, meaning he would have played two years for free”
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:48 am
Jay Jay says:
This is the most riducilous thing i’ve read on Dime!
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:49 am
einnod says:
Cmon what happen to everyone who made it to the NBA say I am grateful to make it to the NBA. It’s been my dream since I was a child to make it to the NBA but I don’t want to play for the team who gave me my first chance.
F the whiney Rubio!!! And to all who say the media is out to get Rubio, quit washing his balls the kid has done nothing yet!
Damn can’t wait til NBA 2K10 Drops.
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:55 am
Dwayne says:
if Rubio sat out the year and went on a NIKE barnstorming tour and had pay per view games, if I were the WOLVES I would argue that he was still playing professionally(i.e. getting paid by NIKE to play basketball.
the meaning of being a pro is getting paid to do it.
July 2nd, 2009 at 10:14 am
mellamoernest says:
He will be playing for the Wolves this year. The buyout means nothing if you consider the urgency he should be wanting to get out of his rookie contract and into real money.
July 2nd, 2009 at 10:31 am
old school says:
The media coverage in the US about Rubio is embarrassing. And I can’t believe that Dime jumps on the same stupid stories and speculations. Rubio just gotta pay a couple millions of Dollars to get out of Badalona. And the Wolves knew that it could last another two years. So please let them sort things out and stop the hating.
Damn Dime, you used to care for quality-coverage.
July 2nd, 2009 at 10:37 am
Guitar Hero says:
Poor Rubio.
From nearby Barcelona (one of the most beautiful and charismatic cities in the world) to Minneapolis.
Man, what a culture shock.
Get him to NY for Nate and a future 1st round, ASAP.
It’s a win-win
July 2nd, 2009 at 10:40 am
Michorizo says:
Ricky quiere jugar. ?pero por los timberwolves?…no…Ojala que en tiempo los timberwolves lo cambian a otro equipo.
July 2nd, 2009 at 10:48 am
SEANY_T says:
If the Knicks do end up getting Rubio for a deal involving Kryto-Nate, Kahn is gonna look like such as muppet as trading Foye and Miller for the number 5 led to Robinson…. Sounds like a bum deal for the Wolves to me. Shoulda just drafted Curry with the 5 and gone with a backcourt of Flynn and Curry.
July 2nd, 2009 at 11:08 am
karizmatic says:
Rubio also could get injured attempting something like that and it could expose his true value and he might not be as coveted in the next draft. That would not be a smart decision at all.
July 2nd, 2009 at 12:25 pm
Jason says:
PPV basketball games?! Seriously? Even in a strong economy, I couldn’t imagine too many people paying to watch Rubio play basketball on TV.
July 2nd, 2009 at 12:46 pm
BNZA says:
This Kahn guy is retarded. Period.
July 2nd, 2009 at 1:56 pm
Guitar Hero says:
@ SEANY_T
True, but that trade made sense as a Knicks fan
lol
July 2nd, 2009 at 5:40 pm
sans says:
Jim Jackson almost pulled that back when…
July 2nd, 2009 at 9:41 pm
Mano says:
All this talk about Rubio sitting out a year is nonsense. He’d still owe the 6.6 mil, and that’s the whole reason he can’t come here. Nike should just pay it for a marketing deal, and let him come over here. This isn’t dead yet, not by a longshot.