5 winners and losers from the Ricky Rubio trade to the Utah Jazz

Winner: Free agent point guards

This is a pretty broad pool to be calling winners from this deal, and most, if not all of them won’t be making an appearance in a Timberwolves uniform any time soon. However, with the Timberwolves opening up a spot in their lineup for a point guard along with a ton of cap space to throw around, dollar signs may be popping up in some guards’ brains.

Like I said earlier, Kyle Lowry, Jeff Teague and Derrick Rose are all names in the conversation for the Timberwolves to pursue, and seeing them commit to adding a new name this offseason is surely a good sign for these guys. While some will think of the financial situation and how much money they could get in Minnesota, the talent side of things is also going to be a huge factor.

The Timberwolves’ roster may not match up with the talent level of some of the league’s best, but the team is arguably the most built for the future out of any team in the league not named the Philadelphia 76ers. They have a mix of young guns along with a veteran like Jimmy Butler, and joining a roster like that if you’re a talented point guard should lead to some serious success.

While the Timberwolves don’t have the best postseason resume to boast to the free agents out there, as they haven’t been in the playoffs since 2004, that also may be a strong persuasion factor in a pitch to these free agents. You can help bring Minnesota back to the postseason, with a talented roster behind you and the money in your contract to help the cause, and you’re entering a real win-win situation by joining the Timberwolves.