NBA Trade Rumor: Ricky Rubio to Memphis for Rudy Gay
Rudy Gay
Citing the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the folks at RealGM shed some light on a rumored trade proposal that would send the rights to Ricky Rubio to the Grizzlies in exchange for Rudy Gay.
If there’s any truth to this and both teams are talking, it would go right on top of the stack of cases where Memphis GM Chris Wallace got worked over like a one-armed guy fighting Brock Lesnar. You know how I feel about Rudy’s prospects as a future superstar. And while Rubio’s potential is one of the great unknowns at this point, it still seems like a lopsided deal in favor of the Wolves. With Al Jefferson and Kevin Love holding down the paint and Jonny Flynn getting him the rock, Rudy would be a thoroughbred in Minnesota.
What makes this rumor seem questionable to me is that Rubio reportedly never wanted to play for the Grizzlies and might’ve pulled a Steve Francis on them. When the Grizzlies landed the No. 2 pick in the ‘09 Draft, I thought Rubio was a no-brainer for them before those reports came out and the franchise fell in love with Hasheem Thabeet. A cooperative Rubio would be a great pick-up for them, but at the expense of losing their best player, it’s not worth it.
What do you think of this deal if it happens?
Source: RealGM.com
August 24th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
Scott says:
RealGM is a waste of time.
August 24th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
Yoooo says:
OMG, then they should line up whoever is running the Griz and fire away… Whats wrong with this franchise man? Its not fair to basketball that theres a franchise who continuously wishes to lose and help the rich get richer (not that Minny is rich by any means… But how they’ve been getting involved in trades they have no business in)
I’ll tell you what though, the Wiz might not crack double digits W’s with a team without Rudy. Z-Bo is iight and OJ’s good, but after that they would suck BALLS
August 24th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
NC says:
@Scott, totally agree.
BUT, just in case … Memphis … what are you THINKING!?!?!?!
August 24th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
Sam I Am says:
GOOO MINNY!!!!!!!
Lve them Wolves
August 24th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Ashlov says:
Bad trade for Memphis. RealGM forums are one of the best places to talk ball, if you haven’t been there already.
August 24th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
robmo35 says:
Memphis being Memphis
August 24th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
I’m not sure Rudy Gay is Memphis’ best player or at least he’s not their future. I think OJ has that spot.
August 24th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
That's Whats Up says:
trading a fag for a gay… wtf?
August 24th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
The Growl says:
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let this be a joke!
August 24th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Captain Jean Luc-Picard says:
RealGM…to boldly go where no idiot has gone before.
Last week it was Rubio to Knicks…
August 24th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Guest says:
Seriously? Ricky Rubio made it perfectly clear before the draft that he didn’t want to be in Memphis. He never actually said anything about Minnesota.
August 24th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
NTstateOFmind says:
if this happens, and rubio pans out as the phenom the media is making him out to be, i foresee him playing in LA in 4 years (while Memphis gets .25c on the dollar back)
August 24th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
vince says:
@ the idiots hating on realgm: they’re just reporting what is written including a source (pioneerpress)
August 24th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
gamin says:
How can u give advices without knowing the guy ? Rubio is a real valuable player, who makes ur team play basket-ball as it should always be. wait and see…
August 24th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
youdontknow says:
@7:
Keep in mind that although Rudy seems like he’s been around for a while, he turned 23 only 7 days ago.
August 24th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
gamin says:
Rubio is around for a while too (euroleague+spain) and he just turned to 19.
August 24th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
Joe says:
Rubio will be a Knick. Kahn needs to work out a deal before he gets fired.
August 24th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
No Deal says:
Brock Lesnar actually fought a dude with one leg.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl29dwfOmnQ&feature=PlayList&p=49CAD36C215B4FEE&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=10
August 24th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
steve says:
Read my lips, Kahn will be shot if he trades Rubio. I will state this in bold so that everyone knows. HOW MANY TIMES DOES DAVID KAHN HAVE TO SAY HE DOES NOT CARE ABOUT BALANCING THE ROSTER RIGHT NOW. he believes Rubio is a superstar. He will not trade rubio, period, explanation point. The sole reason Mcfail is not GM is a constant trading away the good draft choices he had for failures. Kahn no this. he is better off if Rubio fails because if rubio is traded and plays at all he will look like a buffoon. So he will not be traded, not to the knicks, not to anybody. and all that if Memphis was this high on rubio … um they could’ve taken rubio and not have lost gay in the process. This rumor makes no sense.
August 24th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
dk says:
Yeah, someone over at Dime contact the team president in Memphis. Im availible to work on Sundays GM’n for them after my NBA Live league games, about 11 am EST. The guy they have running that team is a complete fucking moron and I bet he gave away his lunch money daily, without a fight…
August 24th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
flavur says:
If this trade goes down then the grizzlies might as well sell their franchise and cash in for all the money they can get cus at this rate they will never make the playoffs again.
August 24th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
billy says:
The timberwolves can just sign gay to a huge contract next year when he’s a restricted free agent. Then they canhave both rubio and gay. They have the money to do it thats for sure.
August 24th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
heavy d says:
It makes sense to the Grizzlies in that Gay is an RFA next summer and likely to be gone or very expensive. Rubio as an asset has a longer expiration date. Memphis hasn’t been run with basketball as the top priority in quite some time.
August 24th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
the cynic says:
this trade makes absolutely zero sense for memphis. they could have just drafted rubio and gave away nothing
August 24th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
Kobeef says:
I’m looking at this from a different angle – this trade shows how stupid the Wolves are. We can all see as plain as day that the Wolves needed a PG, a SG and a SF in the draft.
Instead of drafting Rubio they could have drafted DeMar DeRozan or Earl Clark (who is a Rudy Gay clone – seriously, they are exactly the same size and have the same game) and came out of the draft with a starting line of Flynn, DeRozan, Brewer, Love, Jefferson – a great young core. Instead they wasted a pick on a kid who is never going to play for them and will be lucky to bring them something of value since only about 25% of the teams in the NBA are real options for a Rubio trade (he’d stay in Spain if he gets sent to memphis).
August 24th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
scotsman says:
if it was any other team but memphis then id laugh it off. considering its wallace…it will probably happen.
worst trade ever for memphis IMO
August 24th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Samaki Walker says:
Yes! There is still hope for a Gay-Love frontcourt!
August 24th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Trick says:
That is a big loss for the Wolves. They will lose on a true talent just to get a proven sophomore. The Wolves need Gay, but for the expense of Rubio?
August 24th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
haslem says:
as a wolves fan that would be an awesome trade. Rubios being a little difficult.
Rubio-Mayo and Thabeet isn’t a bad young core and it eliminates the power struggle between Gay and Mayo (they could still probably get more for Gay and its probably a better call to build around Mayo if they have to chose)
If wallace does this trade people should start speaking slowly around him
August 24th, 2009 at 9:52 pm
Balla says:
OJ Mayo is the Wolves best player.
August 24th, 2009 at 10:11 pm
MNTwolves says:
I would still prefer to keep Rubio but think of the marketability of our new team: Gay-Love Tandem FTW!!!
August 24th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
iLL Mago says:
My gut says NO WAY but seeing how Mayo is taking many of his shots and Marc Gasol is a Spaniard it’s a possibility.
August 24th, 2009 at 10:45 pm
That's whats up says:
@27
The trio of Love-Gay-Mayo could happen in a few too
August 24th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
fred a stair says:
that would b awsome 4 the t-wolves
August 24th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
fred a stair says:
gay love lol
August 24th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
babyGreenUnicorn says:
This makes no sense ^^^ like someone already said Memphis “could have just drafted rubio [in the first place] and gave away nothing”
Also Khan is in Spain right now (cause I read somewhere that he was heading there again) Believe me I’ve been to Spain; the Atlantic ocean is HUGE it takes freaking 8 hours to get there and your ass gets sore for sitting for so long, it’s tiring. Why would you go through all that trouble of getting him here this season when you are just going to trade him off (that could be done over the phone) it’s just plain Stupid!
this rumor could only be true if Kahn is not in spain right now.
August 25th, 2009 at 12:00 am
el_rector says:
Bullshit! Since draft day Rubio had been reported to be about to sign with 3 teams in Europe (apart from his actual one) and now with the addition of Memphis, other 3 in NBA. It’s so boring…
August 25th, 2009 at 12:10 am
i say says:
What if its gay for Flynn. That would be sick for the wolves. It would be great.
PG- Rubio
SG- Ellington
SF- Gay
PF- Love
C – Jefferson/ Hollins
August 25th, 2009 at 12:22 am
timmy D says:
Stop trying to make the Grizzlies always sound bad. I know they’ve done a lot of stupid stuff but this is totally some dumb writers idea it has no truth to it at all. There is no rumor its just some dudes thoughts.
August 25th, 2009 at 12:24 am
timmy D says:
Oh and for anyone that didnt read it this is what the writer said: “It will be interesting to see if the Timberwolves, in need of a legitimate small forward, make a run at Memphis’ 6-8, 240-pound Rudy Gay, who can become a restricted free agent next summer and might not be affordable for the Grizzlies. Ricky Rubio could be worthwhile trade bait.”
I dont know on what planet that would be considered a trade rumor
August 25th, 2009 at 12:49 am
sh!tfaced says:
Fag-for-Gay…Gay-Love tandem…Gay-Love-Mayo…LMFAO!!! Big Al would have a whole new meaning too…
August 25th, 2009 at 2:29 am
hahaha says:
^^^ hehehe yeah can you believe the marketing on that and the nice slogans…
August 25th, 2009 at 4:03 am
vince says:
Really people, aren’t those gay-love jokes growing a bit old?
August 25th, 2009 at 4:43 am
AB_40 says:
so the gay love connection is finaly gonna happen? ah hahahahah that joke is too easy.
watch eurobasket or eurobasket recaps you’ll see how ricky rubio can play. he’s an amazing playmaker. I’m just wondering who they’re gonna play at the three if this trade goes down. probably sam young who looks older then greg oden
August 25th, 2009 at 5:21 am
Greg says:
I’m not the biggest Rubio fan–wow, he didn’t look out of place in the Olympics, well, neither did Patrick Mills from Australia and Sarunas Jasikevicius and the Greek point guard who bombed in his one year at Houston, even Sun Yue played well against Team USA–but I don’t think Gay is great shakes either.
I can’t see him becoming an elite scorer because to be one, you have to have either one of two ingredients: the ability to get to the free throw line a ton and/or be a great three point shooter. Gay has never been good at getting to the line either in college or during his first three years with Memphis. Even though he’s still young, it’s unlikely he’s ever going to shoot a high volume of free throws. His three point shooting is good but he’s not someone who is likely to shoot 40 or above year after year.
I think he tops out as a 20-22 point scorer, which is fine but in order to be truly an elite player he has to do other things besides just score. And he doesn’t. He gives Corey Maggette a run for biggest Black Hole among perimeter players.
I found his basketball IQ to be lacking as well. He doesn’t come across as someone with a great feel for the name and that’s big because the core players for championship teams usually have high basketball IQs.
August 25th, 2009 at 8:21 am
Rizwan says:
I wouldnt trade Rudy for Rubio but it aint like Rudy is untouchable. He’s onyl alright. He’s a scorer and the last time I checked OJ is a way better scorer. If the situation came that I would trade Rudy for someone like Jose Calderon, I would pull the trigger.
August 25th, 2009 at 8:23 am
Rizwan says:
If they gave me Kevin Love for Rudy, I would take it.
August 25th, 2009 at 10:19 am
MSkittle says:
Memphis is crazy. Rudy is a future superstar.
August 25th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Chaos says:
GRIZZLIES TO SEATTLE!!!
August 25th, 2009 at 10:32 am
Chaos says:
Chris Wallce is gutting this team to get them to Seattle…he has to be, no ones this inept
August 25th, 2009 at 11:50 am
what says:
this could be a mix up because when ever the timberwolves talk about getting a good player Rubio comes into the mix when i think Gay could be one of Minnesotas free agent prospects for the team. Which if we could keep Rubio would be great.
Or Memphis doesnt believe Gay will stay with them next year so they are trying to get value for him. Or they think they just dont have the money to sign him
August 25th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Seven Duece says:
Personally, I don’t think Gay would’ve stayed with Memphis after his contract was up anyway. And it seems the Grizzlies are hell bent on getting Rubio AND making the team into a stinker.
Professional sports: From front office personnel to players; the only place where you can actually suck at what you do and still get paid.
August 25th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
jeff says:
This rumor is just a rumor its not happening the guy that wrote it on realgm is a minnesota fan and wanted it to happen but there is no truth to it yall really need to quit believing every rumor espeacially one that has no truth and Gay will most likely stay in Memphis he might get a extension before the season starts.
August 25th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Da_Griff says:
There is no way this trade happens.
No chance.
August 25th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
Mack Brownee says:
why didn’t they just draft rubio instead of thabeet? thabeet was one of the rawest in the draft and is going to take time…this rumor makes no sense. Failed!
August 26th, 2009 at 1:11 am
Chise says:
OJ Mayo is their best player, not Rudy Gay.
August 26th, 2009 at 2:07 am
Ricky says:
who eva even thought about doing this trade should be fired. Rudy Gay is a Superstar and Ricky Rubio is A hopeful starter