Cavaliers pick up Ricky Rubio in trade with Timberwolves

The Cavaliers and Timberwolves worked out a trade sending Taurean Prince to Minnesota in exchange for Ricky Rubio and a second-round pick.

Ricky Rubio is on the move, and not just on the basketball courts in Tokyo at the 2021 Summer Olympics.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are trading the point guard to the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. In exchange for Rubio, a 2022 second-round pick via the Washington Wizards and cash, Minnesota is getting forward Taurean Prince.

Rubio averaged 9.6 points, 7.6 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game with the T-Wolves last season.

The Cavaliers sought out Ricky Rubio as a veteran point guard

The guard is currently proving he still has a lot to give with the Spanish national basketball team at the Olympics. In the opening game against Japan, he had 20 points and 9 assists. In a victory over Argentina, he put up 26 points and 4 assists.

He had been on the radar of several teams, but the Cavaliers made the deal happen.

According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, the Cavaliers intend to keep Rubio in the wake of losing backup Matthew Dellavedova to the Australian league. Rubio is in the third and final year of his current deal worth $51 million.

“Finding a reliable, veteran point guard was one of their primary goals this offseason,” Fedor tweeted.

Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff worked with Rubio in Minnesota while he was an assistant with the Timberwolves in 2011.

As for the Wolves, this trade gave them the financial flexibility to make some additional moves this offseason, according to Darren Wolfson of KSTP.

They’ve also picked up a capable shooter in Prince. He is set to play his sixth season in the league after ending the last campaign early because of ankle surgery. He averaged 10.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game in 29 appearances with the Cavs. He started the season with the Brooklyn Nets before being traded in January.