Could Minnesota Timberwolves offer Ricky Rubio for Eric Bledsoe?
The Phoenix Suns and restricted free agent guard Eric Bledsoe are very far apart on a deal. Bledsoe is seeking a five-year max deal and the Suns are only willing to give him a four-year, $48 million deal. There has been speculation the Suns could deal Bledsoe and they reportedly offered him to the Minnesota Timberwolves for power forward Kevin Love.
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The Timberwolves are reportedly high on Bledsoe but a deal seems unlikely. If they could swing a deal, it could help them make a decision on one of their own guards, Ricky Rubio. Rubio is also said to be seeking a max contract, which is something the Timberwolves do not seem interested in handing out.
Jerry Zgoda of The Minneapolis Star Tribune thinks the Timberwolves should try to deal Rubio for Bledsoe.
"I don’t know if I’d say big, but sure it’s a possibility. If I were Flip and I could figure out someone to swap Ricky for Bledsoe and give him the max max, I’d do it quickly… I’d try to swing a deal that in some form would be Rubio for Bledsoe if the max max would convince Bledsoe to come here."
Bledsoe averaged 17.7 points, 5.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 47.7% from the field, 35.7% from beyond the arc and 77.2% from the free throw line last season. In his four-year NBA career, the 18th-overall pick in the first round of the 2010 NBA draft, has averaged 8.7 points, 3.4 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 44.5% from the floor, 32.7% from three and 75.8% from the charity stripe. 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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