Minnesota Timberwolves: Ex-players who’d be welcomed back
By Ethan Becker
2. Ricky Rubio (2009-17)
This one hurt. It was sudden and unexpected too, which can be just the worst way to suffer a breakup.
The Minnesota Timberwolves drafted Ricky Rubio in the summer of 2009, passing on Stephen Curry not once, but twice, picking up Johnny Flynn with their other pick.
Rubio was another player who the Timberwolves traded away, although this time the only thing they got back right away was a first-round draft pick.
In all fairness to the organization, all signs pointed to Rubio leaving after that season anyway and that pick turned into the No. 20 pick in the 2018 draft, where the Minnesota Timberwolves selected Josh Okogie. So all-in-all not a horrible move.
Still, if there were any doubters of Rubio at the time he left Minnesota, he quickly proved them all wrong with his play for the Utah Jazz. Utah paired Rubio up with Donovan Mitchell and the two quickly hit it off, developing a lot of on-court chemistry.
Because of that, Rubio averaged 12.7 points, 6.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game, while averaging a career-low 27.9 minutes per game and playing 68 games.
While Rubio is almost certainly a veteran player on the decline, he is still a fantastic “pure point guard” that the Timberwolves desperately need in a time where the team has a certain lack at the 1 position.