NBA Trade Rumors 2016: Ricky Rubio Could Answer Knicks' Point Guard Issues
The Minnesota Timberwolves are one of the deepest teams in the NBA when it comes to young talent, with a roster full of up-and-coming stars in Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Zach LaVine. But one of those young players whose part of the core is likely going to be dealt before the Feb. 18 trade deadline: past-first point guard Ricky Rubio.
The emergence of Zach LaVine as a dependable ball handler may have prompted the Minnesota front office to contemplate on trading the 25-year-old Spanish guard, thinking that they might get some good players in exchange for him. It is pretty clear that the Wolves want to try the LaVine point guard experiment, and if it pushes through, they have to give Rubio up.
And in line with the news that Rubio is made available by the team for trade offers, there is no better destination for the Spanish but the New York Knicks. It's no secret how desperate New York is in finding a high-quality player who can play the role of a starting point guard and Rubio is definitely a must-have for them.
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Phil Jackson wants to acquire a point guard who loves to pass and do it efficiently. However, the biggest obstacle is the fact that the Knicks actually don't have the right pieces to provide the Timberwolves something valuable.
Rubio's numbers this season are down, and everyone in Minnesota understands that he's long been dealing with injury issues. With that, being expendable is something more like a foregone conclusion, and his case isn't in any way being helped with the fact that LaVine has become an able starting point guard candidate.
If the Knicks really want him this season, they will have to offer something more that the Wolves will consider as too irresistible. Unfortunately for now, they don't really have that piece for Minnesota to seriously weigh on.
