Ricky Rubio revisited
Here are a few things I didn’t know yesterday when I wrote about the flashy, 18-year-old Spanish point guard:
– He’s got something like an $8 million buyout with his current team in Spain. NBA teams are allowed to pay only $500,000 of these buyouts and the player must pay the rest. The buyout could be negotiated downward, but certainly will still be very high. He’s not going to earn anywhere close to enough, in his first season in the league, to pay that off.
– In order to handle that buyout, he’s probably going to want to play in a major media market, where endorsements might help defray part of that fee.
– If he doesn’t like the situation with the team he’s going to end up with he can pull out of the draft right up until a couple of days before it happens. That means, I bet, that if Memphis says it will take him and not trade him — he’ll probably pull out of the draft. Certainly he’s young enough to wait another season.
– He wouldn’t fit well in Portland because, as talented as he is, he’s still pretty wild, wants to run all the time and can’t shoot. Those are attributes that Nate McMillan probably would not want to deal with.
Sorry to rain on a parade I helped start.
NBA, Trail Blazers | Dwight Jaynes | May 21, 2009
Dwight Jaynes, Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers, Ricky Rubio, Spain
Could it be possible Dwight that Rubio’s agent is positioning him to go to a team not in the top five? Might it be a situation where the agent is deliberately trying to effect his stock in the draft so he can go to a specific team? A team like Portland? If he drops far enough, Portland might be able to move up enough to grab him.
I say this because I can’t help but to think that there is a desire for him to play with guys he knows. He is young, more than likely still very immature, and at the age of 17, looking for a bit of security. Who better to get him through his first year or two than Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Rodriguez? Two guys that are probably like brothers to him.
@JD,
It’s possible that his agents are trying to maneuver him to a team outside the top 5, yes. But in no way are they wanting to do that by making his draft stock drop. That’s serious cash they would all be losing.
If they are trying to get him to a team outside of that top 3 or 4 range, it’s through a trade, not a drop in his position.
Don’t forget, they can always pull him out of the draft a few days prior and he can reenter next season, when his buyout is reportedly only around $1 million.
The Rubio camp holds a LOT of leverage right now.
Wow – interesting data for sure – and makes it pretty obvious he wouldn’t come over here to play for someone like the Clippers.
Some questions about the $8 million buyout:
1. Could he arrange to pay it off over time? If he is as good as they say, then his long term earning potential in the NBA will be pretty good, and it is to his advantage to get started with his NBA career sooner to maximize his long term earnings. Maybe somebody would help finance it so that he will be able to get over the $8 million dollar hump.
2. How much was Rudy’s buyout and how did he swing it?
3. How much money has he been making in the last few years? Maybe he has $8 million banked already?
4. Why would the NBA limit their own teams’ contributions to the buyouts? It seems that they would do anything they could to bring the best talent to the NBA.
Good Point Doug. I wonder if there is any truth to the Washington Wizards wanting to trade their top five pick.
> Who better to get him through his first year or
> two than Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Rodriguez?
Ummm… Marc Gasol?
But he doesn’t want to play for Memphis
Folks — if Ricky comes here, Sergio certainly WON’T be here. And you’re assuming Sergio and Rudy have gone back and said good things about the Blazers. Probably — but maybe not, especially when it comes to style of play. And remember, big media market — that’s not us.
– Dwight
Are you guys really serious about wanting to get Rubio? Anyone actually watched him play?
First, he can’t shoot, averaging an anemic 39% from the field this year. His shot is really awkward looking and I don’t think there are any easy ‘tweaks’ or a quick fix to get him up to par.
Second he has a really hard time staying in front of his man on defense, he’s not nearly as quick as people are giving him credit for. Sorry, but if guys are blowing by you in Europe what the hell do you think is going to happen in the NBA?
Third, and I know he’s young but his decision making is rotten. All flash and a lot of bad passes.
He may turn out to be Steve Nash like, but even in college Nash could shoot the lights out. Jason Kidd was a very strong defender at the PG position coming into the league which evened his shooting issues out a bit…..
Rubio seems a lot like Sergio and Telfair to me and I’m just not seeing it…..
And one more thing….. If I was going to draft a 6’3″ point guard with questionable defensive skills, I’d much rather take Stephen Curry…..
If money was going to be placed on the most sucessful out PG out of this years group, mine would be on Ty Lawson……
@Lucy:
1. I’ve read around the ‘net that he can indeed arrange to pay it off over time (like the life of his rookie deal
2. Less than a million I think. He had been playing professionally for quite a while, so I’m sure he had the capital to pay the portion that the Blazers weren’t allowed to.
3. He’s been making diddly. Like 100k Euros per year or something. He just got a huge bump this season, but it’s still peanuts because his team controls his rights right now. He’s set for a HUGE payday when his current deal ends, even if he stays in Europe. No way he has banked 8 million off is past salary, but I have no idea what his family financial situation is.
4. Probably an archaic rule that was put in place for a good reason, but has since come to have unintended consequences. Or maybe not – it could be an effort to level the playing field as much as possible, so the cash-rich teams aren’t at an advantage in drafting and brining over foregin players.
Nope. Not interested in an 18 year old “creative” point guard on a Nate McMillan team.
But am interested in Ricky getting into the NBA this year to add to the talent level and excitement of the league and to shake loose some other point guard someplace because Portland needs one.
So I hope this $8 million buyout thing is a Dan Fagen smoke screen that is resolved in some sensible way.
@douglast:
Thx!
>> Who better to get him through his first year or
>> two than Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Rodriguez?
>Ummm… Marc Gasol?
Pau Gasol?
It’s been 18 months…isn’t it about time for a bottom-end team to do something really stupid to help the Lakers?
my comments are being deleted, why?
not by me… are you sure?
ya, I could have sworn I posted something about Rubio earlier today…weird. Oh well, no biggy. Keep up the good work Dwight.
You have to think that he won’t go to Oklahoma City either. It kind of sounds like Memphis might take Thabeet anyway, so I have a feeling he’ll be looking at either Memphis making a trade back where they feel they can still get Thabeet (Washington? New York?) or Rubio may pull out. If Memphis is really high on Thabeet, they might just go ahead and pull the trigger at #2, but they might be engaging in subterfuge.
Ricky to Portland would be a blast, but for a wide range of reasons, its highly unlikely.
Rubio shows some real potential, but I think at this time the Blazers need a more seasoned pg who can defend, shoot the 3, and above all penetrate
Rubio seems a bit slow on defense and I just see both Oden and Pryz constantly frustrated by having to cover his assignment. Didn’t we alreasy have enough of that this season?
As much as I am grateful how we built a good team through this draft, my feeling this year is we have to replace young potentional with some savvy vetrans. Nothing is more priceless than having experienced guys who know how to win when it really matters
If Thabeet goes to Oklahoma City, watch out. I was worried when they almost got Chandler.