NBA Trade Grades: Timberwolves send Ricky Rubio to Jazz

Minnesota Timberwolves

With the arrival of Jimmy Butler and another year under the belts of Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota continues its long-running search for a more elite point guard. In order to do so, Rubio had to go.

Finding an upgrade for one of the most important positions in the league makes sense on paper, but it’s also a little ironic the Timberwolves shipped off a point guard whose skill-set — outside of his paltry perimeter shooting — is tailor-made for their biggest needs next season.

The Wolves ranked 10th in offensive rating last year at 108.1 points per 100 possessions, and with a go-to scoring option like Butler entering the fold, a pass-first point guard like Rubio could’ve done wonders with all those offensive weapons flanked around him. In other words, offense and Rubio’s lack of three-point shooting were hardly this team’s biggest problems.

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Rather, the majority of the blame lies with Minnesota’s defense, which ranked 26th in the association, giving up 109.1 points per 100 possessions. Rubio, who is one of the league’s most underrated defenders, was also one of their few saving graces on that end of the floor.

It’s entirely possible the Timberwolves are able to find a major upgrade from Rubio, a career 31.5 percent shooter from downtown. After all, three-point shooting is another area of need for a team that finished dead last in both three-point attempts and makes last season.

Neither Butler nor Wiggins are proficient three-point shooters and after trading away Zach LaVine, keeping Rubio with that trio might have given Jimmy Buckets unpleasant flashbacks to his final days in Chicago playing as part of the Three Alphas.

To replace Rubio in free agency, Kyle Lowry is one possible option that would justify this trade. He’d make for a star-studded core that could launch Minnesota into the upper echelon of the Western Conference.

However, according to multiple reports, Jeff Teague is one name that could emerge as the Timberwolves’ new starting point guard, which would really only be adding fast-paced offense and below-average defense to a roster that already had plenty of both last season.

ESPN‘s Marc Stein reported that the New York Knicks have abandoned their pursuit of Teague, convinced he will sign with the Timberwolves.

According to The Vertical‘s Chris Mannix, Rajon Rondo (gulp) could be another option, though that would hardly make sense.

Trading away a pass-first, defensive-minded point guard who can’t shoot, only to sign a pass-first point guard who can’t shoot AND doesn’t play great defense, would be a major mistake.

But wait, there’s more! ESPN‘s Ramona Shelburne warned not to sleep on a Tom Thibodeau reunion with Derrick Rose either. Boy, it must be nice living in 2011 still.

All in all, unless the Timberwolves get a bonafide star at that position like Kyle Lowry (or, possibly a slight upgrade like George Hill), this trade feels like a step backward, even if it’s ultimately a necessary one to provide floor-spacing.

True enough, the Wolves did well to secure a first-round pick in return, which should convey as long as the Russell Westbrook stays healthy for the one-man show in Oklahoma City next season.

But a pick in the late teens or early 20s is hardly valuable, and given how Rubio’s distribution and defense were a great match for this improving roster, it’ll take a terrific replacement signing to bump this grade above mere passing marks.

Grade: C+