The Minnesota Timberwolves have won their last two games, including an impressive one at Golden State, but they are still just 27-52 this season. This will be the 12th consecutive season the Timberwolves have not made the postseason, and despite the young talent it may be time to shake things up.
Ricky Rubio is a player that has had his future in Minnesota questioned a lot in recent years because he draws a lot of interest but has been underwhelming so far. Rubio signed an extension with Minnesota that will take him through 2019, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he will be with the Wolves for that long.
There was some talk at the trade deadline that the Timberwolves might look to move Rubio. Nothing ended up happening, but Rubio says that general manager Milt Newton told him he was close to being dealt at the deadline. Rubio was told that Newton didn't pull the trigger on the deal because the other team didn't offer what they wanted, which, if true, isn't exactly a ringing endorsement for Rubio's future in Minnesota.
Newton said that he recalls the conversation with Rubio going a little bit differently. The general manager said that he told Rubio that he's never called another team about trading him, but it is his job to listen. Newton also went on to say that Rubio is "extremely valuable to the organization," but of course he has to say that now whether a deal was almost done or not.
The team that Rubio was supposedly almost traded to is unknown, but a good guess would be the Milwaukee Bucks. Bucks coach Jason Kidd has "long been enamored" with Rubio and has reportedly tried to trade for him several times in the past but hasn't been able to strike a deal. It is expected that Kidd will try to make a move for Rubio again this offseason, at which point we will see which side was right about the alleged near trade.
The idea of trading Rubio isn't a bad one for Minnesota. Yes, Rubio has played better toward the end of this season. And yes, he is solid on defense and a great passer, but he also has plenty of flaws. Paramount among those flaws is the fact that Rubio can't shoot. The 25-year-old point guard is a career 36 percent shooter from the field and hasn't shown any improvement in that area throughout his career. On top of the lack of shooting ability Rubio has also had injury issues throughout his career which is another major concern. The Timberwolves will have to decide if they believe having a point guard who can't shoot will allow them to win a championship in the future, but if Rubio's comments are any indication, they have already made that choice.
