Ricky Rubio is thinking about leaving the Minnesota Timberwolves if they fail to make the playoffs in 2016-17.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have not been a good basketball team for a very, very long time. Even though they have tremendous upside with rising stars like Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns in addition to new head coach Tom Thibodeau, the Wolves are still horrible.
You can sing praise all you want — and I very much do — about their future but despite the talent the team has, they’re still a lottery team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2003-04. It’s something that drove Kevin Love away and it’s something that is pushing Ricky Rubio away as well.
In a Spanish radio interview, Rubio stated that if the Timberwolves miss the playoffs in 2016-17, he’s going to start considering leaving Minnesota.
"“Next season will be crucial for me. I’ve been in the NBA for five years, and six years without playoffs would be a long time. At 26, I’d have to start thinking about teams that can get to the playoffs and win in the Finals.”"
You can’t entirely blame Rubio for getting a case of Kevin Love syndrome. It’s hard to play for a team that goes nowhere every single season while you watch so many other players — some far less talented — make the playoffs and even win titles.
The Wolves are projected to be a fringe playoff team in their first year under Thibodeau but Rubio’s time with the was considered to be limited even before he tried to get ahead of his own expiration date.
Minnesota is rumored to be looking at guards in the draft, and as they get better under Thibs they’re expected to be a bigger free agent draw as well.
Rubio still has a ton of value to the Wolves, but there have been trade winds blowing for a while now and this might be the thing that causes Minnesota to finally pull the trigger on a deal.
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