Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio was the subject of trade rumors back in February. One of the teams linked to Rubio the most was the New York Knicks, a squad seemingly prepared to dangle Derrick Rose as bait at the time.
With Rose set to become a free agent and the Timberwolves interested in his services, there now stands a better chance that Rubio himself will be dealt.
So, of course, the Knicks themselves are reportedly interested in the former top-five pick.
“Some members of the (Knicks) organization would again like to try to pursue Minnesota’s Ricky Rubio in a trade this offseason, sources said,” ESPN’s Ian Begley reported. “The Knicks were close to completing a deal shortly before the trade deadline centered around Derrick Rose and Rubio. Talks continued until shortly before the deadline.”
New York is also currently engaged in trade discussions with the Portland Trail Blazers that would bring the team a first-round pick while the Knicks take on a bad Blazers contract.
As it relates to Rubio, he’s coming off a career-best season that saw him average 11.1 points and 9.1 assists while shooting a personal high 40 percent from the field. He’d be a perfect fit to head the Knicks’ offense. Though, it remains to be seen if president Phil Jackson and Co. have enough assets to pull of a trade like this.