Minnesota Timberwolves rumors: Ricky Rubio situation critical for Flip Saunders

With power forward Kevin Love headed to the Cleveland Cavaliers, swingman Andrew Wiggins may be the future of the franchise, but point guard Ricky Rubio is now their face and he is looking for a new deal. Rubio is reportedly seeking a max contract while the Timberwolves are looking to give him the same four-year, $48 million deal the Golden State Warriors gave guard Stephen Curry.

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Charlie Adams of Hoops Rumors believes getting this situation right is critical for Timberwolves’ head coach and president Flip Saunders.

"Handling the Love debacle is definitely the biggest issue Flip Saunders has been faced with during has time as Wolves president of basketball operations, but determining the best course of action for Rubio’s future with the team is probably the next most crucial on the list. Refusing to pay for a guy who’s a triple-double threat every night could come back to bite Minnesota, especially if Rubio improves his shooting as he ages. On the other hand, dumping that sort of money into a guy who’s yet to fully demonstrate his superstar potential could be a recipe for even more mediocrity for the Wolves. Whatever Saunders and company decide to do, it will greatly affect the future of the team going forward."

Rubio averaged 9.5 points, 8.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game while shooting 38.1% from the floor, 33.1% from beyond the arc and 80.2% from the free throw line last season. In his career, he’s put up 10.1 points, 8.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game while shooting 36.8% from the floor, 32.3% from three and 80.1% from the charity stripe.

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