Tag: ricky rubio

Cavaliers reach buyout agreement with Ricky Rubio

The Cleveland Cavaliers yesterday reached a buyout agreement with guard Ricky Rubio, Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman announced.

Rubio has been away from the team since the start of the 2023-24 season.

“Ricky Rubio embodied everything a franchise would want from such an accomplished player, who helped instill a confidence and leadership quality that still resonates within our team,” said Altman. “When you measure his impact, particularly during the 2021-22 season, Ricky was instrumental in our 22-win improvement that year. His willingness to mentor our younger players speaks to the gravity of his tenure in Cleveland and the success we are having with this current Cavaliers group. We wish Ricky nothing but the best and remain supportive of his decision to continue focusing on his mental health.”

Rubio (6-3, 190) has appeared in 698 games (603 starts) with Minnesota, Utah, Phoenix, and Cleveland, holding career averages of 10.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.76 steals in 29.6 minutes. He currently has the 10th-most assists among active NBA players (5,160) and has also averaged more than 6.0 assists and at least 1.30 steals in 10 of his 12 NBA seasons. Originally drafted by the Timberwolves with the fifth overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft, the 12-year NBA veteran was a 2012 NBA All-Rookie First Team selection. He has also made three playoff appearances with Utah in 2018 and 2019 as well as Cleveland in 2023, appearing in 14 career postseason games (11 starts) and averaging 11.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.50 steals in 26.1 minutes. A longtime member of the Spanish National Team, Rubio has played in three Olympics (2020, 2016, 2008), winning silver 2008 and bronze in 2016. At the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, he scored 38 points against the United States, breaking the record for most points scored against USA during Olympic competition. He also led Spain to a gold medal in the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

In two seasons with the Cavaliers (2021-22, 2022-23), Rubio appeared in 67 games (10 starts) with averages of 9.2 points, 5.1 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 22.9 minutes. During the 2021-22, his best in Cleveland, Rubio appeared in 34 games (eight starts) with a career-high tying average of 13.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.44 steals in 28.5 minutes, before missing the final 48 games with a season-ending ACL tear. Prior to the injury, Rubio became one of 12 active NBA players to record 5,000 career assists. He also recorded a career-high 37 points, shooting 8-9 (.889) from the three-point line, 10 assists and three rebounds in 31 minutes off the bench on Nov. 7 at New York, becoming the first player in NBA history with at least 30 points, 10 assists and eight three-pointers in a game in a reserve role. He also became the first player in Cavs team history to make his first eight three-point attempts in a game.

Rubio was traded to Indiana on February 7, 2022, after his injury in a deal that brought Caris LeVert to Cleveland but did not appear in a game for the Pacers. He resigned with the Cavaliers as a free agent on July 7, 2022, and appeared in 33 games during the 2022-23 season, making his season debut on Jan. 12 at Portland, where he chipped in nine points and three rebounds in 10 minutes off the bench. It was his first game back since suffering the ACL injury on Dec. 28, 2021, at New Orleans.

Cleveland’s roster now stands at 16 players, including three Two-Way players.

National Basketball Players Association add Ricky Rubio, Grant Williams and Jalen Rose to Board of Directors

FROM THE NBA PLAYERS UNION:

The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Foundation is delighted to announce the addition of Ricky Rubio, Grant Williams, and Jalen Rose to its Board of Directors.

Ricky, Grant, and Jalen join a dedicated team, including CJ McCollum (President), Andre Iguodala (Director), Chrysa Chin (Director), Serge Ibaka (Director), and Tamika L. Tremaglio (NBPA Executive Director). The Board of Directors provides strategic oversight to the NBPA Foundation to expand both current and former NBA players’ philanthropic footprint globally.

“Ricky, Grant, and Jalen each bring unique experiences and perspectives, both on and off the court, which will undoubtedly enrich our Board,” said NBPA Foundation Executive Director Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. “Their contributions to their communities demonstrate a commitment to positive change, aligning with our core mission. We are thrilled to have them join us in our pursuit of creating meaningful change worldwide.”

Ricky Rubio, currently playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, has had a distinguished career in both European and American basketball. Born in El Masnou, Catalonia, Spain, Ricky made his EuroLeague debut at 16 and was a first round NBA draft pick in 2009. In 2018, Ricky started the Ricky Rubio Foundation, which supports individuals and families impacted by cancer both across the United States and Spain. His foundation’s work also includes supporting underprivileged youth and research toward understanding and curing lung cancer.

Grant Williams, a Forward with the Boston Celtics, joins the board bringing in fresh insights from his current NBA experience. Williams also currently serves as the First Vice President on the NBPA’s Executive Committee. In 2022, Grant started the Grant Williams Family Foundation, which focuses on financial literacy, mentorship, and education access in Charlotte, North Carolina. He will serve the NBPA Foundation’s Board as Vice President.

Jalen Rose, a studio analyst appearing on various ABC/ESPN shows brings with him a rich background in sports commentary and analysis. Rose, who played in the NBA for 13 years and was a member of the University of Michigan’s legendary “Fab Five”, brings his extensive knowledge of the game and entertainment industry into his new NBPA Foundation Board role. A philanthropist who truly gives from the heart, Rose established a foundation in 2000 to give back to the communities where he lived and played basketball. His most substantial outreach initiative to date is the establishment of the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy. Founded in 2011, the Academy is an open enrollment, tuition-free public charter high school in his hometown of Detroit.

“We are thrilled to be part of the NBPA Foundation and its mission of driving positive change through the power of partnership,” said Rubio, Williams, and Rose in a joint statement. “We are committed to leveraging our collective influence and the platform of professional basketball to make a lasting impact on our communities.”

Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio will reportedly make season debut soon

Via ESPN.com:

After a full year of rehabilitating an ACL tear in his left knee, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio is targeting a return against the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday, sources told ESPN.

Rubio will practice Wednesday, and if all goes well, he will play in Portland on Thursday, the sources said.

The Cavaliers — 26-16 and fifth in the Eastern Conference — are anxious to make Rubio a part of the team’s guard rotation with All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland.

Cavaliers sign Ricky Rubio, Robin Lopez and Raul Neto

The Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, July 8 signed guard Ricky Rubio, center Robin Lopez and guard Raul Neto, Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman announced.

“Our focus during this offseason has been centered around making this team better and finding the best talent to help strengthen this roster,” said Altman. “When you think about the impact Ricky had on our team last season, his addition became a priority to bring back to Cleveland. We also feel Robin and Raul are both high character guys who have played a great amount of meaningful basketball and will bring the right balance of seasoned experience and depth to our emerging young core. We are excited for Ricky’s return and welcome Robin and Raul to the Cavaliers family.”

Rubio (6-3, 190) has appeared in 665 games (601 starts) with Minnesota, Utah, Phoenix and Cleveland, holding career averages of 11.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.80 steals in 30.3 minutes. He played in 34 games (eight starts) for Cleveland last season, averaging a career-high tying 13.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.44 steals in 28.5 minutes before missing the final 48 games with a season-ending ACL tear. On Dec. 13, 2021 vs. Miami, Rubio became one of 12 active NBA players to record 5,000 career assists. Rubio also recorded a career-high 37 points, shooting 8-9 (.889) from the three-point line, 10 assists and three rebounds in 31 minutes off the bench on Nov. 7 at New York, becoming the first player in NBA history with at least 30 points, 10 assists and eight three-pointers in a game off the bench. He also became the first player in Cavs team history to make his first eight three-point attempts of a game [via Elias Sports Bureau]. Rubio was traded to Indiana after his injury in a deal that brought Caris LeVert to Cleveland but did not appear in a game for the Pacers.

Originally drafted by the Timberwolves with the fifth overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft, the 11-year NBA veteran was a 2012 NBA All-Rookie First Team selection. Rubio currently has the 12th-most assists among active NBA players (5,045) and has averaged more than 6.0 assists in 10 of 11 NBA seasons. He has also made two playoff appearances with Utah in 2018 and 2019, averaging 14.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.82 steals in 33.6 minutes. A longtime member of the Spanish National Team, Rubio has played in three Olympics (2020, 2016, 2008), winning silver 2008 and bronze in 2016. At the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, he scored 38 points against the United States, breaking the record for most points scored against USA during Olympic competition. He also led Spain to a gold medal in the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

Lopez (7-0, 281) has played in 939 games (603 starts) over his 14-year NBA career with Phoenix, New Orleans, Portland, New York, Chicago, Milwaukee, Washington and Orlando. Last season in Orlando, Lopez appeared in 36 games (nine starts), averaging 7.1 points and 3.5 rebounds in 17.0 minutes. Lopez has appeared in 36 postseason games (28 starts) with Portland (22 games), Chicago (six games), Milwaukee (three games) and Washington (five games), averaging 8.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.00 blocks in 23.4 minutes for his postseason career. The Stanford product was selected with the 15th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns. Since 2008, Lopez is one of seven NBA players to shoot .530+ FG% and .700+ FT% over that span, joining Jonas Valanciunas, Enes Freedom, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Domantas Sabonis and Amar’e Stoudemire (min. 400 games played).

Neto (6-2, 180) appeared in 70 games (19 starts) last season for the Washington Wizards, averaging 7.5 points, a career-best 3.1 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 19.6 minutes. As a starter last season, Neto shot 16-39 (.410) from beyond the arc and scored in double figures on nine occasions. Selected with the 47th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks, Neto has played seven NBA seasons with Utah, Philadelphia and Washington, appearing in 387 games (98 starts) in his career, as well as 27 postseason games (three starts). Prior to coming to the NBA, he played professionally in Brazil and Spain from 2008-15. A native of Brazil, Neto competed in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games as a member of the Brazilian National Team.

Pacers trade Caris LeVert to Cavaliers for Ricky Rubio

The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired forward Caris LeVert and a 2022 second-round pick (via Miami) in a trade with the Indiana Pacers for guard Ricky Rubio, a lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick, 2022 second-round pick (via Houston) and 2027 second-round pick (via Utah), Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

“We are very excited to add a dynamic young player of this caliber and experience,” said Altman. “Caris LeVert fits uniquely into our culture and his Ohio roots brings an immediate connection to our community. We look forward to seeing what type of impact he can make on this roster. We also want to send our best wishes to Ricky Rubio and his family. Ricky has been the consummate professional and his leadership both on and off the court was invaluable and we respect everything he brought to this franchise.”

LeVert (6-6, 205) played in 39 games (all starts) for the Pacers this season, averaging 18.7 points, 4.4 assists and 3.8 rebounds in 31.1 minutes. Over his six-year NBA career, he has appeared in 299 games (170 starts) with Brooklyn and Indiana, owning career averages of 14.7 points, 4.0 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.09 steals in 27.4 minutes per contest. He has also appeared in nine career playoff games (six starts), averaging 20.7 points, 5.9 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 1.11 steals in 31.6 minutes. LeVert was selected with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Pacers after attending the University of Michigan for four years (2012-2016).

Rubio (6-3, 190) was acquired by the Cavaliers on August 8, 2021 via trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves and played in 34 games this season (eight starts), averaging 13.1 points, 6.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.44 steals in 28.5 minutes.

Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio suffers season-ending injury

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio left Tuesday night’s road game at New Orleans in the fourth quarter with a left knee injury and did not return to action.

Further examination of the injury postgame and a MRI administered today at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health revealed a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

Rubio will miss the remainder of the 2021-22 season.

Per Cleveland.com, “this is the second time he has torn his left ACL. The first time came in 2012 when he was a member of the Timberwolves.”

Ricky Rubio wins Offseason NBA Cares Community Assist Award

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio has received the Offseason NBA Cares Community Assist Award. This in recognition of his continued efforts to improve the lives of children and families, particularly those impacted by cancer, prior to the 2021-22 NBA season.

This is the fifth year the NBA and Kaiser Permanente have presented the offseason award to a player for his impactful work from the end of the regular season to the start of the following season.

“I’m honored to receive the NBA Cares Offseason Community Assist award,” said Rubio. “There are a lot of NBA players making a difference in their communities and I’m fortunate to be chosen. Since I started playing basketball, I have always thought about how to leverage sports and community. I tossed around the idea of starting a foundation until the decision to act became more personal and clear: my mother was diagnosed with lung cancer in the summer of 2012 and in one of my last conversations with her, I promised that I would do everything in my power to help others.”

In April, Rubio launched “I Am Ready,” a virtual program to ease these experiences for pediatric cancer patients undergoing radiation treatments. The program, which will be delivered to 1,000 youth patients in the United States during the 2021-22 NBA season, features Rubio guiding the children on what to expect as well as through a workout to reduce their fear and anxiety for treatment.

In September, in partnership with Funidació “laCaixa”, Rubio announced the construction of a new therapeutic rehabilitation area at Vall d’Hebron Hospital in Barcelona to increase the number of children and adolescents the hospital can serve by nearly 40 percent.

During the same month, the Ricky Rubio Foundation also funded a week-long stay for a family navigating cancer at Dreams Village, which aims to have a positive impact on patient recovery.

Throughout the offseason, Rubio provided additional support for local organizations and the next generation of players. In May, he continued his #OneMonthOneCause campaign, a program that showcases and provides contributions to local non-profits, by selecting Minneapolis-based A Breath Of Hope.

In Spain, Rubio also launched the Community Team of Masnou, which uses basketball to teach life lessons to young people, and hosted the eighth year of Camp Ricky Rubio in El Collel. Through programs and resources, Rubio’s contributions totaled more than $200,000.

Thunder trade Ricky Rubio to Timberwolves

Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas today announced the team has acquired guard Ricky Rubio and the draft rights to Jaden McDaniels (28th overall) from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for forward James Johnson and the draft rights to Aleksej Pokuševski (17th overall) and Minnesota’s 2024 Second Round Pick.

The Timberwolves are also acquiring the draft rights to Leandro Bolmaro (23rd overall) from the New York Knicks in exchange for the draft rights to Mathias Lessort (50th overall in the 2017 NBA Draft) and the Detroit Pistons’ 2023 Second Round Pick.

“Ricky is a great fit to what we are building here in Minneapolis and we are thrilled to welcome him back to the Timberwolves organization,” said Rosas. “He will be a solid addition to our core in All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns, All-Star guard D’Angelo Russell and First Overall Pick Anthony Edwards. Ricky is an elite playmaker and someone who will boost our defense and bring a veteran presence to our team.”

Originally drafted by the Timberwolves with the fifth overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft, Rubio played in 353 games over six seasons with Minnesota averaging 10.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game. He ranks among the top-10 in numerous franchise records including ranking second in total assists (2991), second in total steals (747) and 10th in games played (353). Rubio holds the record for the most assists in a single game in Timberwolves history after dishing out 19 dimes against the Washington Wizards on Mar. 13, 2017. The 6-3 guard played in 65 games for the Phoenix Suns last season, averaging 13.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, his most since averaging 5.7 rebounds in 2014-15, and 8.8 assists in 31.0 minutes per game.

“Ricky is a needed piece when it comes to being a culture builder, a team-first player and the impact he has on and off the court,” said Timberwolves Head Coach Ryan Saunders. “I’m thrilled to welcome him back to Minneapolis.”

The El Masnou, Spain native began his national team career on Spain’s Under-16 team in 2005, winning a bronze medal at the 2005 FIBA Europe U16 Championships. Rubio was named MVP of the 2006 FIBA Europe U16 Championships after leading Spain to the gold medal where he averaged 22.3 points, 12.8 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 6.5 steals per game during the tournament, including two triple-doubles and a quadruple-double (posted 51 points, 24 rebounds, 12 assists and 7 steals in the championship game against Russia). Rubio was named to the Spanish team for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where at age 17 he became the youngest ever to participate in the gold-medal game.

Bolmaro, a 6-6 forward, played his first season with FC Barcelona’s primary team for the 2019-20 season. He appeared in 13 games (two starts) across the club’s ACB and EuroLeague schedule. The Las Varillas, Argentina native averaged 4.4 points and 0.9 steals in 12.9 minutes in seven games in Spain’s top pro league. Bolmaro joined FC Barcelona’s “B” team for the second consecutive season and averaged 14.6 points, 3.6 assists and 1.8 steals in 26.8 minutes in nine games in Spain’s third division, LEB Silver. The 20-year-old joined FC Barcelona’s “B” team in 2018-19, averaging 10.4 points in 33 games in Spain’s second division, LEB Gold.

McDaniels, a 6-9 forward joins the Timberwolves after spending one season at the University of Washington where he averaged 13.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 blocks. He was the only player in any of the major conferences to average at least 1.4 blocks and 1.4 three-pointers made per game in 2019-20. The Federal Way, Washington native is the younger brother of Charlotte Hornets forward Jalen McDaniels.

Johnson was originally acquired by the Wolves in a three-team deal from the Miami Heat on Feb. 6, averaged 12.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game in 14 games with Minnesota.

Pokuševski (7-0, 195) averaged 10.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.3 steals in 22.6 minutes in 11 games with Olympiacos B in the Greek Second Division, HEBA A2 in the 2019-20 season as the team went 17-4 and earned a second-place finish in A2. At the 2019 U18 European Championships, the Serbian native averaged 10.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.7 steals and led with event with 4.0 blocks per game.

Quickley, 6-3, 188-pounds, averaged 10.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists, shooting 46.2-percent from the field, including 39.7-percent from three over 67 games (27 starts) at Kentucky. The Havre de Grace, MD-native was named the 2019-20 SEC Player of the Year after helping guide the Wildcats to the SEC regular season championship. During his sophomore season, the 2019-20 All-SEC-First Team selection recorded 16.1 points and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 42.8-percent from downtown over 33.0 minutes in 30 games (20 starts).

Will Suns target Fred VanVleet, Jerami Grant in free agency?

The Suns failed to make the playoffs this season, but won all eight of their games in the Disney NBA bubble, have a talented young core, and have every reason to be excited for next year’s prospects. Here’s the Arizona Republic mentioning two players they might want to consider targeting in free agency this offseason:

Around $20 million a year.

That’s what the Toronto Raptors could pay point guard Fred VanVleet to stay in O Canada and still have a “maximum salary slot for 2021,” the Toronto Star wrote last month.

Up to $16 million a year.

That’s how much Denver Nuggets power forward Jerami Grant could command as he can opt out of his contract, The Denver Post reported last week.

Phoenix is reportedly interested in both, but probably couldn’t land the two even if they made major moves starting with trading Kelly Oubre Jr.

And some more on VanVleet:

Talent should translate, but you’re asking someone who can be a starting point guard for several teams, including the one he’s on, to play behind veteran Ricky Rubio.

Could see VanVleet finishing games, though. He’d allow Booker to play off the ball and make teams pay for doubling Booker.

Wonder if Rubio would be willing to come off the bench?

Suns free agents this offseason include Aron Baynes and Dario Saric. When healthy, Baynes definitely helped. He’ll turn 34 years old this December, so if he does return it would likely be on a short-term contract.

The rest of the core roster — Booker, Rubio, Kelly Oubre, Deandre Ayton and friends — will be back.

The team is on the rise.

We may see Devin Booker play a bit more PG for Suns

Here’s Arizona Sports reporting on the Suns backcourt, which features Ricky Rubio at point guard and scoring star Devin Booker at shooting guard:

So, on a team where its net rating went from 3.8 when starting point guard Ricky Rubio was on the floor to a team-worst -6.5 when he was off, you’d surely want to fill in some of those spot minutes with Booker in control, especially with the inept backup point guard play, right?

Nope. The Suns’ top lineup in minutes featuring Booker without Rubio, Elie Okobo, Ty Jerome, Tyler Johnson or Jevon Carter played a total of six minutes. (And let the record show they scored 21 points in those six minutes).

There, of course, was a reason for this. Booker got worn down by those minutes with the burden of the entire offense on him, and preserving Booker over a full season was a priority for [head coach Monty] Williams.

But after year one of locking Point Book away in the basement, Williams wants to bring him back upstairs next season.

“Anything I would like to explore would probably be putting Devin at the point guard position a bit more than I did last year,” he said on a conference call Thursday. “I think he’s at a point in his career where he’s making the right plays consistently.”

After a hot start to the season, the Suns were 26-39 when the league was put on hold in mid March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Booker averaged 26.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game, while Rubio put up 13.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 8.9 assists per outing.