5 reasons Sacramento Kings should trade for Ricky Rubio

The Sacramento Kings reportedly have their eye on Minnesota Timberwolves starting point guard Ricky Rubio. Here are five reasons Sacramento needs Rubio.

For the last decade, there have been two teams in the NBA’s Western Conference that haven’t been anywhere close to being playoff-caliber: the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Sacramento Kings. Minnesota last made the Western Conference Playoffs back in 2004 when Kevin Garnett was in his prime. Sacramento hasn’t sniffed the postseason since 2006 in the tail-end of Chris Webber’s dominance.

While it has been understandably slow during the middle of August of the 2016 NBA offseason, could a trade between these two perennial Western Conference doormats be on the horizon? Minnesota has two solid point guards in veteran Ricky Rubio and rookie Kris Dunn out of Providence. The Timberwolves even have an athletic third ball handler in young Zach LaVine.

Now that former Kings point guard Rajon Rondo has relocated to the Chicago Bulls this offseason in free agency, Sacramento might now have the worst point guard situation in the Western Conference, and maybe even the entire NBA.

Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 said on his podcast Tuesday that while Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor is firm on his belief that Rubio will start at point guard on opening night for the 2016-17 Timberwolves, Sacramento has its eyes set on the brilliant Spanish point guard in a trade down the road at some point.

Depending on what Minnesota can get in return and whether LaVine or Dunn are ready to take over primary ball-handling duties in the Twin Cities, here are five reasons the lowly Kings have to orchestrate a trade with the Timberwolves to land Rubio as their new point guard.

Next: 5. DeMarcus Cousins