The Minnesota Timberwolves have one of the worst records in the NBA, and with the trade deadline approaching it is possible they could be sellers. For the most part it seems like the Timberwolves have been quiet in regards to trade rumors, but it's not because their guys aren't garnering interest. Shabazz Muhammad is a player that has drawn a lot of interest, but he likely isn't going anywhere. Ricky Rubio is another guy that is drawing a lot of trade interest, according to Derek James of 1500 ESPN.
Rubio is a player that the Timberwolves have invested a lot of time and resources in over the years, but he has been a bit underwhelming. Rubio has struggled with his shot his entire career, and it hasn't gotten better, yet teams still want him because he is such a great passer and floor leader. This season Rubio is having his worst NBA season, so teams are trying to see if they can get him on the cheap.
All along the Timberwolves have said that they don't want to trade Rubio because they feel he is more important to them than anything he would bring back in a trade. That remains the case, but there are still some who believe a trade could happen because the Timberwolves are looking to get more playing time for Zach LaVine and Andrew Wiggins together, according to Chris Roling of The Sports Daily.
For his part, Rubio has no desire to be traded, according to Britt Robson of the Minnesota Post, despite the fact that the Timberwolves have not been good since he has been there. Rubio proved as much when he signed an extension with the Wolves prior to last season. That extension just kicked in this year and is worth $55 million over four years. Because of the contract it makes sense that Rubio is drawing interest since he will be under a team's control for three-plus more seasons at a reasonable price.
In order for the Timberwolves to trade Rubio they would likely have to be blown away by an offer considering how important to the team they think he is. Rubio has dealt with injuries over his career and hasn't improved his biggest weakness (shooting) in four-plus seasons in the league, so teams are likely trying to acquire him for pennies on the dollar. While the Timberwolves should consider a Rubio trade, they probably won't because by all accounts they value him tremendously. The likelihood is that Rubio stays put, and the only way a team can snag him is likely by overpaying big time.
