NBA Rumors: Houston Rockets Could Acquire Ricky Rubio From Timberwolves
The NBA offseason is about to hit full speed with free agency opening up and there are a lot of good players who could be available on the trade market as well. One of those players could end up being Minnesota Timberwolves’ point guard Ricky Rubio.
At this point in time, it is not clear whether Tom Thibodeau is serious about dealing Rubio or not. He was happy to take Kris Dunn with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft and Rubio doesn’t seem to fit in the plans. There have been rumors since Dunn was drafted that Rubio could be on his way out of town.
According to Matt Moore of CBS Sports, the Houston Rockets could be one of the teams interested in acquiring Rubio if he is indeed on the trade block.
Last season with the Timberwolves, Rubio ended up averaging 10.1 points, 8.6 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game. He shot 37.4 percent from the field overall and knocked down 32.6 percent of his three-point shots. Those numbers don’t look good on the offensive end of the court, but he is capable of creating shots for his teammates.
Rubio would be an upgrade for the Rockets from a creating standpoint. He would be able to set players up and run an offense much better than Beverley. That being said, there is no telling how he would play alongside of James Harden, who likes to have the basketball in his hands the majority of the time.
At 25 years old, Rubio would be a long-term pickup for the Rockets as well. He still has two more years left on his deal after the 2016-17 season.
There is still plenty of time left for Rubio to figure out his offensive struggles and fix them. He has shown the potential to be a decent scorer throughout his career, but obviously the consistency has not been there. It is a bit of a concern that he hasn’t shown improvement throughout his career, but that will not deter teams from making a move for him.
Everything will depend on what kind of price tag the Timberwolves have on Rubio at this point in time.
Other teams that could be interested are the Sacramento Kings and Philadelphia 76ers. Both teams are in major need of finding point guard help and definitely have the assets to pull off a trade with the Timberwolves.
Expect to hear a lot of rumors about Rubio once free agency starts calming down in a week or two. There are a couple solid point guards on the market this offseason that will be pursued before the trade market becomes a priority.
While the Rockets will look at the free agency market first, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them come back and consider a Rubio trade. He will be a hot commodity for teams that don’t sign a point guard and Houston certainly has the pieces to make a deal as well.
Do you think the Houston Rockets should try to acquire Ricky Rubio from the Minnesota Timberwolves? Would he be a good fit alongside of James Harden if the Rockets did acquire him? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!
[AP Photo/Jim Mone]
