http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/basketball/nba/07/22/rubio.ap/index.html?eref=sircrc You think Rubio or Flynn might be available?
I think he's trying to send the message that he CAN play in the NBA, if conditions are right. Hoping that it will facilitate a trade, since teams would be less willing to trade for his rights if they think he won't even come over. I'd love to see Portland deal for his rights. Minnesota doesn't have a lot to gain from holding onto him. And the nice thing is, Minnesota can use a shooting/scoring guard or small forward. So Portland's best trading chips, Rudy, Bayless, Outlaw, aren't useless to Minnesota like they would have been to Memphis or Oklahoma City. Bayless could fit alongside Flynn quite well.
Interesting position for the T'Wolves. They can't really risk trading Flynn until they are 100% certain they have Rubio. OTOH, Rubio may not be willing to commit as long as Flynn is on the team. If Kahn isn't careful, he could wind up like the drunk who couldn't pick a stool, so he tried to sit down between them!
I know Rubio would be fantastic. I wouldn't mind keeping Blake as starter until Rubio was ready to take over.
I'd love to get Rubio, but we can't even manage to get a backup power forward right now. I'd love to see our luck change with a good acquisition at the PG position.
I've been thinking that he's on his way here. Rubio and Flynn don't both fit on Minny's team. Rubio is not a shooting guard. I don't have a clue on the details, but he just doesn't fit there.
I can't help but think that Joel has to be in on the deal somewhere. His stock won't be ever higher than it is now.
Joel + Rudy + Outlaw + Picks + $ for Rubio, Love and filler. Minnie gets a native Minnesota center to go next to Al jefferson at PF (where he should be imo). They pair Blake/Flynn and Rudy in the back court and start Outlaw at the 3. That's a decent young team. Portland: PG Blake/Rubio/Bayless SG Roy/Bayless/Webster SF Batum/Webster/Roy PF LMA/Love/Cunningham C Oden/LMA/Pendergraph Oden, LMA and Love rotation in the front court would absolutely dominate the glass. Blake plays PG until Rubio is ready. I think you have to consider it. Basically you are trading Joel and Rudy for Rubio and Love. I think that's pretty reasonable.
You need more proof about Greg? The job of a good GM is to determine a players skill level and ceiling without waiting for him to prove it. Ya gotta be able to project accurately how a player is going to turn out. It's a skill that the best GM's have. Whenever I hear someone proclaim that they have to wait to see the proof, I think they don't know that some have the skill more so than others. Greg is going to be the best center in the nba soon... lot's of people see it. Can't you see it?
No way KP is trading Rudy. That's the whole purpose of making the trade, to reunite Rudy with Rubio. Hell, those two gave the USA Olympic Team troubles. We could have Spain's starting guards on our team.
No... the point of the trade would be to get an awesome young PG prospect. I don't think matching Rubio up with Rudy would be that big of a consideration. Ed O.
Then we disagree Ed. I think KP thinks very highly of Rudy. Sure, he would be a great pg prospect. But those Spanish guards gave our all-stars all they wanted. Rudy and Ricky have chemistry, you really don't think KP values that?
I'm sure he does, and I have no doubt that he values Fernandez, but that doesn't mean it would prevent him from trading Fernandez for Rubio, if that's what it took. Rubio is an even more special prospect/player. I'd love to have Rubio play with Fernandez...there's something to be said for flair and an exciting duo. But Fernandez is not so good that he should be considered off the table in a Rubio deal. Minnesota may well want Fernandez, since he's a prototypical shooting guard to pair with Flynn.
