Ricky Rubio Rumors: Minnesota Timberwolves to offer the Eric Bledsoe deal?

After losing the face of their franchise, power forward Kevin Love, the Minnesota Timberwolves don’t want to lose point guard Ricky Rubio, who can become a restricted free agent in 2015. The two have discussed the possibility of a contract extension but the two sides don’t seem close.

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Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com believes the Timberwolves will wind up offering Rubio the same kind of contract restricted free agent guard Eric Bledsoe turned down – a four-year, $48 million deal.

"I think they’ll offer less than the max — maybe something like the Suns’ offer to Bledsoe — and if Rubio takes it, great, otherwise they’ll play out restricted free agency."

Like Bledsoe, Rubio is said to be looking for a max contract so it wouldn’t be surprising to see this one drag out, although probably not to the same degree the Bledsoe situation has.

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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