NBA Rumors: Ricky Rubio May Leave Timberwolves If Team Missed the Playoffs
In his recent interview with Spanish radio station Catalunya Radio, point guard Ricky Rubio hinted at leaving Minnesota Timberwolves if the team missed again the playoffs next season.
The Timberwolves roster is largely composed of young talent with back-to-back Rookie of the Year winners Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns. With such a promising lineup, optimism should be at all-time high. But for the 26-year-old Rubio, the long playoff drought has fueled his growing impatience and mulls on searching for greener pastures if Minnesota fails to repackage itself as a serious contender for the playoffs.
"Next season will be crucial for me. I've been in the NBA for five years, and six years without playoffs would be a long time. At 26, I'd have to start thinking about teams that can get to the playoffs and win in the Finals," said Rubio as transcribed by ESPN.
While Rubio's sentiment reflects his personal aspiration for glory, it doesn't seem reflective of the current mood and atmosphere. As pointed out by Star Tribune, the Timberwolves are on the upswing with a promising young core plus a new head coach who could polish the team's ongoing progress with new tweaks in the gameplay.
In addition, Tom Thibodeau is also rebuilding the roster by trying to get more NBA veterans to elevate the quality of their gameplay and catapult the team to the playoffs after a long drought. If rumors prove accurate, adding hardened players like Joakim Noah from the Bulls could add certain level of maturity to the game.
Despite hints of leaving, Rubio is not in a strong position to demand trade. He is also not an unrestricted free agent who could drum up competing offers from various teams. As per Sports Rageous, his interview comments sounded more like a challenge for his team to start winning or else he might find himself playing for another team after his 2018-19 season ends. The point guard is currently locked in a $56-million four-year contract since 2015. In the 2015-16 season, he averaged 10.1 points and 8.6 assists per game.
