The Minnesota Timberwolves didn’t flip Ricky Rubio as part of a trade for Jimmy Butler. The rumor mill hasn’t portrayed them as aggressive in trying to move him after drafting point guard Kris Dunn with the fifth overall pick, either.
But that doesn’t mean all is quiet on the Rubio front. Because it’s not, according to The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski:
There is still time until the 2016 NBA draft’s fifth overall selection, Kris Dunn, takes over as the Minnesota Timberwolves’ point guard – which is why the franchise is still resisting trade overtures for Ricky Rubio, league sources told The Vertical.
The Sacramento Kings are the most determined of several teams expressing interest in finding a pathway to a Rubio deal, league sources said, but Minnesota president and coach Tom Thibodeau is reluctant to move Rubio – outside of bringing back a no-brainer package, of course – until Dunn’s progress illustrates this season that he’s ready to fully take over the team.
Thibodeau doesn’t anticipate Dunn becoming the starter until approximately 20 games into the regular season, league sources said.
If, in fact, Tom Thibodeau views Dunn as a starting candidate 20 games into the season, then this isn’t the last we’ve heard of Rubio’s availability. Should Dunn perform up to snuff, the Timberwolves will no doubt move on their current stance.
Of course, trading Rubio isn’t a no-brainer, unless the package is, as Woj notes, overwhelmingly one-sided. His shooting is whatever and probably won’t get much better, but he’s on a steal of a contract. Zach LaVine will be extension-eligible this summer, so if the Timberwolves aren’t absolutely certain they want to invest more money in him long term, a Rubio-Dunn backcourt would, in the grand scheme of things, be a cheaper coupling.
All of this is, most likely, moot until Dunn takes the court. Minnesota needs him to arrive immediately, in a big way, if it’s to shop either of its other backcourt cast members.
