Rubio to Europe Could Happen; so could a third team

by Tommy Dee on June 26th, 2009 at 2:12 am

Interesting report  filed byKen Berger a little while ago:

“…So a predictable scenario was playing out, one that eerily followed Rubio’s comments Wednesday about needing to be taken in a “top spot” to make the approximately $4 million buyout with his European team, JKV Joventut, palatable. Not inclined to view Minnesota — and the $5.7 million rookie-scale guarantee over the first two years — as a “top spot,” Rubio apparently would rather go home for a year or two than play for the T-Wolves.

“Now I know where I’m going to go, so I have to talk with the team, what exactly they want about me, and if necessary, I’m going to pay the buyout,” Rubio said.

That’s fine with David Kahn, Minnesota’s new GM, who had the stones to pick Rubio even though he knew it would be problematic. He knew it would be problematic because Rubio was represented by Dan Fegan, who tried to scare the bejesus out of the Milwaukee Bucks when they dared to select Yi Jianlian in 2007. That didn’t end well, depending on your perspective. Yi was dealt to the Nets in a package for Richard Jefferson, who was given away to San Antonio this week for expiring contracts.

But I digress. Back to Esteban, whose quotes only get better, according to the expert translation service I employed for much less than the $24 “Knicks draft caps” they were selling at the Garden. (No Frederic Weis jerseys, though.)

“It is probable that we will remain in Europe one or two years,” Rubio’s father said. “Everything is open, although the most probable is to continue in Europe for some time. We have to talk with the people in Minnesota … and we will see what will happen. Because at this hour, we could be in Minnesota or we could be somewhere else.”

That was the handiwork of Fegan, who was trying to broker a deal sending Rubio to the Knicks. No such luck. Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni was plenty happy with Jordan Hill at No. 8. Kahn, according to a rival executive, believed that Rubio was by far the best point guard in this draft. He likes Rubio so much, in fact, that he’s apparently willing to wait out his return to Europe rather than trade him.
“He might be right,” another rival exec said…”

My guy always told me that Rubio was target one and as much as I’d like to think that Walsh can work this out, I’m not all that confident. It’s why the Wolves took Flynn and it’s why they didn’t allow the Knicks 28 (and take UNC’s Wayne Ellington? How’s that for adding insult to injury?) That being the case, then why would the Wolves  allow the Knicks Rubio?

Allowing Rubio to head back to Europe is straight idiotic. They gave up their backcourt to pick 2 point guards and then let one walk? Maybe they are waiting for the best offer. But you’d have to believe that if a deal were to get done, it would have been done by now. That said there can always be a third team involved, so all hope is not lost.
  • jsher118

    What do you guys think will be next years starting 5?

  • barnaby8787

    Nobody can predict this only b/c of the vast amounts of trades that will occur this off-season…best case scenario
    pg-rubio
    sg-mcgrady
    sf-gallinari
    pf-harrington w/ j,hill backing up
    c-bosh

    worst case scenario
    pg-duhon
    sg-hughes
    sf-chandler
    pf-harrington
    c-lee
    Oh wait…

  • belikmike23

    Donnie Walsh, you created a monster known to some as David Kahn but to us Knicks fans as “the douche”!!

  • jsher118

    If lee doesn’t return could Hill start at center?
    PG Duhon
    SG Hughes
    SF Chandler
    PF Harrington
    C Hill

    Bench:
    Darko
    Danilo
    Toney
    Nate

  • Knicks_1974

    Donnie likes Hill, go figure we got ourself one hell of a player, who would of thought it with so many amateur scouts on here.

    Longer it goes the less likely it is to get done, the happier i become.

  • bob go knicks

    SESSIONS-PG DUHON
    ?????????-SG DOUGLAS
    GALLINARI-SF JEFFRIES
    HILL———-PF HARRINGTON
    DARKO——-C GORTAT HUGHS,CHANDLER,NATE,LEE WILL ALL BE TRADED(FOR WHO I DONT KNOW) THERE WILL BE SOME GOOD TALENT TO REPLACE THESE OTHERS,MAYBE RICKY RUBIO WILL BE OUR POINT INSTEAD OF SESSIONS

  • http://theKnicksBlog.com Tommy Dee

    I had hill 3, didn’t realize the Knicks had him 2.

    I really think they can figure a way to bring Rubio in Via 3 way.

  • barnaby8787

    Douglas is only 6’1. He can’t play the 2 guard. Only AI can pull that off and ghostface is no AI.

  • barnaby8787

    I’m not sure about that whole situation, but I don’t see why the t-wolves wouldn’t take chandler and the #8 if the knicks offered it. They could then use the 8 to take terence williams and get three guys (chandler, williams, and flynn) with jefferson and love to make an extremely young, but talented lineup. Although they would probably lose a lot of games this year, that would give them another lottery pick next year and a crazy team 2-3 years from now.

  • TrentMotherTucker

    I’m a long time reader who hasn’t posted in a while. Here are my thoughts:

    Love the Jordan Hill pick. The Knicks needed size not a 6’3 180 lbs shoot first point guard. Duhon had no backup last year and played way too many minutes lets give this guy a chance.

    Duhon, Chandler, Gallo, Curry, and D Lee start.

  • Mucha

    Good night guys, what a great (well… “great”) night… Sh*t was crazy.

    And I got to say, Chris you’re the man. I never thought that Quentin Richardson would be enough to get Darko Milicic.

    I really wanted to see either Tyreke Evans or Stephen Curry wearing blue and orange but it is what it is. I really like Jordan Hill, I was talking about him earlier this year and I pray that he’ll be a better NBA player than Stephen Curry and Demar DeRozan.

  • barnaby8787

    I wish douglas was 6’3. He’s only 6’1 :/

  • bob go knicks

    YES THE ALWAYS OPTIMISTIC TOMMY DEE,! are you ready to go out on a limb tom? i tell ya ,the draft was fun ,the KNICKS MADE OUT PRETTY GOOD (if ya dont think of what coulda been) maybe a free agent signing ….we can win 45 games this year…W/RUBIO-50…………….GO NY GO NY GOOOOOOOOOOO

  • bob go knicks

    MAN! they must have hated darko real good

  • barnaby8787

    He’s better suited at teh 4 really. He could play the 5, but definitely better suited at the 4. If lee doesn’t return, we could pursue someone like camby.

  • barnaby8787

    If only we had ewing as a bench coach. He could maybe turn hill into bosh and darko into the european superstar that he was supposed to be. Well, one can dream, right? :)

  • bob go knicks

    TOMMY,give me an example of a 3 way for ricky rubio,and i dont understand why the KNICKS have to do this?

  • bob go knicks

    nate aint commin back

  • bob go knicks

    yeah thats a good one “DAVE THE DOUCHE”

  • bmathews77

    I have to say the Minneosta Timberwolves really screwed up the draft last night for the Knicks by taking two point guards. I reallyyyy hope that Rubio screws the Timberwolves over and plays in Europe for 2 years. Man I miss Kevin McHale…he wouldnt have done this.

  • italian stallion

    That’s what I don’t understand!

    It was not foolish to draft Rubio. In fact it was really smart because he has a lot of value. However, it is clinicly insane to give up some decent players for the #5 pick, draft him, and then allow him to go back to Europe and get nothing.

    There really was no risk in drafting him because they could always trade him if he refused to play in Minnesota. But now that it appears he does not want to play there it IS insane to not work out a deal.

    Perhaps they can convince him over the next few days weeks, but if not and he heads to Europe for a few years, then the owner should immediately be institutionalized.

    Assuning the owner doesn’t need large doses of prescription drugs and a straight jacket, the real question is that if he is on the block, can the Knicks win the bidding war and what will they have to give up.

    Robinson and Lee will soon be available for sign and trade.

  • italian stallion

    I read that the KNicks didn’t want to give up Chandler + #8 to Washington.