Ricky Rubio (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
The NBA trade rumors continue as the top point guards in the market have already been signed.
Mike Conley will stay with the Memphis Grizzlies in the highest contract ever signed in NBA history ($153 million for five years) and former Mike D' Antoni ward Jeremy Lin was scooped up by the Brooklyn Nets.
The Houston Rockets need a distributor to be effective. D'Antoni was most successful with the Phoenix Suns when he had Steve Nash at the helm and the best case scenario is to find a pass-first point guard to break the isolation play of James Harden and distribute the ball in the best scoring spots.
Ricky Rubio of the Minnesota Timberwolves sounds like a good match for that role and coach Tom Thibodeau is expected to deal the Spaniard at the right price.
According to Sean Deveney of Sporting News, Thibs is waiting for the right moment-when the free agent point guards have all been gobbled up and teams that struck out would pay more for him.
"While new Timberwolves president and coach Tom Thibodeau had offers for Rubio before the start of free agency, he staved them off, expecting his value to spike after the first wave of free agents signs on elsewhere," Deveney wrote.
The Timberwolves may have learned that from the late Flip Saunders who held on to Kevin Love until the right offer came along. Andrew Wiggins is now a cornerstone of the team with a promising future and most critics would say that the T-Wolves won that trade. Thibs want a similar outcome for Rubio.
"He won't be on that team for long," Deveney quoted an anonymous GM. "But the longer they hold onto him, the more teams they'll have who would be willing to give up something for him."
Matt Moore of CBS agrees that Rubio is a good fit and believes that Daryl Morey would definitely make a move.
"The Rockets could really use Rubio's playmaking and defense, and in a Mike D'Antoni system, Rubio might break the single-season assists record," Moore said.
The Rockets may not have much to offer and there is a possibility of sending out first round draft picks. Other assets could be Trevor Ariza or a sign and trade agreement for Donatas Motiejunas.
