The Cleveland Cavaliers acquired veteran point guard Ricky Rubio from the Minnesota Timberwolves in a trade this past summer. The team let go of forward Taurean Prince, a 2022 second-round draft pick and cash considerations.
Now, the 6-foot-3 190-pound guard was drafted in 2005 by those very same Timberwolves. Rubio played six years in Minnesota, two years in Utah with the Jazz, a year in Phoenix with the Suns, back to Minnesota for a year before finally arriving in Cleveland.
On the surface, one would be assuming he’s quite the journeyman.
Most fans certainly didn’t think too much about the Rubio acquisition to the Cavaliers. After all, the man is 31 years old and in the final stretch of his career. However, what a pleasant surprise Rubio has been here with the Wine & Gold.
Cavs: Rubio’s clearly had a profound impact from the jump.
What Rubio brings to the team is a certain glue that combines everything together as a talented playmaker, even as more so a bench lead guard. With his skills and knowledge from so many years of play, he is able to take that and bring it to the rest of the team. This includes the young guards such as Collin Sexton and Darius Garland, who spoke glowingly about Rubio at Cavs Media Day, for what it’s worth.
In the first few games of the season, Rubio is averaging 14.4 points on 43 percent shooting, to go with 7.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds. Those are very solid numbers for the role Rubio is in, and it’s evident that he’s created tons of great looks for his teammates, including bigs such as Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.
For the rest of the year, look for Rubio to serve as a mentor, teacher and guide to the guards and simply the team as a whole. The man has the knowledge to help the Cavaliers win when it counts most.
Right now, the team is 3-2 just coming off a big win against the Los Angeles Clippers. Rubio shot 6-of-13 for 15 points, and had three assists and three rebounds.
Overall, though, thus far, Rubio has been a heck of an offseason pickup.