Regrading the Cavs’ Ricky Rubio trade with Timberwolves

Regrading Cavs’ trade for Ricky Rubio: What we thought then

Ricky Rubio was once an elite point guard prospect out of Spain, but multiple injuries marred an up-and-down start to his career. He had some elite seasons interspersed with difficult seasons, going from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, and eventually back to Minnesota. Then came the trade to bring him to Cleveland and the Eastern Conference for the first time.

A number of question marks came to Cleveland along with Rubio. He made $17.8 million, a large number for any backup guard but especially one with Rubio’s injury history. He was coming off of a very poor season in Minnesota where he averaged a career-low 8.6 points per game. To give up even a middling second-round pick for an overpaid injury-prone was absolutely a question mark.

On the other hand, there was plenty of be excited about. The point guard position was a major weakness on this roster the year before, and in the games when Darius Garland was out the Cavs struggled to field 48 minutes of point guard play, let alone good play. Rubio, if healthy, represented the steadiest hand the position had seen in years.

Rubio was also a great teammate by all accounts, a veteran guard who could be a mentor to the likes of Garland and Collin Sexton. He was a ball-mover, not a ball-hog, and overall his play on the court was expected to be a positive for a team that needed the help at the position. Major question marks, but also a lot of excitement.