Tim Shea, a representative for Rubio’s agency in Spain told the New York Post that he expects a Turkish club to formally offer the 18-year-old point guard a chance to play in Turkey. The offer would be "about $1 million, with another $2 million going toward a $6 million buyout for his Spanish team, DKV Joventut."
The Turkish offer would be a pay raise for Rubio, who made $180,000 last season.
Shea also said Real Madrid is in talks with Joventut to acquire Rubio.
Agent Dan Fegan represents Rubio’s NBA interests and a source told the Post that there has been no headway in buyout negotiations yet.
Timberwolves president David Kahn has repeatedly said Minnesota is not interested in dealing Rubio to another NBA team, but he has received phone calls about his availability.
Shea said if the Timberwolves traded Rubio to the New York Knicks, Rubio may decide to play in the NBA next season.
From the Sporting News. What the article leaves out is that Shea is a former Knicks employee (European scout). Shea is the guy who pushed for the Knickerbockers to draft Fredrick Weiss.
7 months ago
Stop-n-Pop
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Epic Fegan Fail
What a tool! He’s not going to get any $ at all!
by callmeishmael on Jun 29, 2009 9:08 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Um, correct me if I'm wrong
but that’s actually less than he could get from the Wolves. It probably includes an apartment and such, which increases it’s value.
But the max salary on the rookie wage scale is slightly over 3 million, then they can play $500K for the buyout.
by Eric in Madison on Jun 29, 2009 9:10 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Well, it will be tax free as well.
It sounds like he would actually make more money there. If not more, it’s close.
The thing to keep in mind is that if he doesn’t play in the NBA, Fegan doesn’t get paid.
by callmeishmael on Jun 29, 2009 9:20 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Never mind..
…that the second he steps in the NBA is the second he is closer to his 2nd NBA contract which is the golden goose for any good player. Here is the current NBA rookie salary scale. If Rubio walks into this slot, he can earn $17.7 mil over 5 years if the Wolves exercise their options. If he’s any good, he can sign an extension after the 3rd year. Granted, it will have to be with the Wolves, but it’s still more than he’ll make anywhere else in terms of base salary. Even if he gets a mil/year from the Euro clubs, it doesn’t match what the Wolves can offer….even with the $6 mil hit. Plus, he’ll be closer to the 2nd contract.
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by Stop-n-Pop on Jun 29, 2009 9:27 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
forgot taxes...
….my bad. callmeishmael made a great point. taxes will definitely play a part here and the difference isn’t like what i made it out to be over the course of the 1st contract. the 2nd contract is still the biggie.
The World's Leading Exporter of Small Area Quickness
www.canishoopus.com
by Stop-n-Pop on Jun 29, 2009 9:28 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Also forgot about
marketing opportunities which will be well over 3 mil per year for a guy who can give companies international exposure to all of the europeans tuning in to the wolves games to see how their kid does in the NBA
by Mplax on Jun 29, 2009 11:47 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
If we traded him to the Knicks. Phhhht. Not happening.
by Grover M on Jun 29, 2009 9:17 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Question
Who was Ricky’s agent when he signed that terrible deal in the first place? Was it just his parents or what?
by Grover M on Jun 29, 2009 9:24 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Seriously. How did this make sense to anyone? You have a what, 16/17 year old phenom who is obviously destined for the NBA, and you let him sign a deal paying him around $100k with a 6 million buyout? Something tells me his parents were involved in this. They don’t sound like the brightest of bulbs..
Jennings: F*** the Knicks, them n***** is always going to be weak.
by Xand1 on Jun 29, 2009 9:39 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well, partly I think the contract was signed at around 14
And this is just the nature of European basketball, These are more “clubs” in one sense than what we think of as “teams.” They all have youth teams that are for development; they spend a lot of time and money on developing young talent, unlike the NBA, which has the advantage of HS, AAU, and the NCAA who do this at no cost to the NBA.
As a result, there’s a sense that they should profit from that development when and if the player moves on. Since there’s no such thing as a draft, they acquire talent early, agree to pay them as professionals, spend time and money on their development, and ultimately want to reap the reward.
by Eric in Madison on Jun 29, 2009 9:45 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
You could almost think of it
like a minimum release fee in soccer.
A tool used occasionally by players and clubs to ensure value is gained if a “big club” comes knocking. If the offer meets the clause the player has to be released.
by Auswolf on Jun 29, 2009 4:28 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don't want to make a fanshot of this because
it’s purely speculative, but this link http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=13119 argues that the entire issue is that they drafted Jonny Flynn.
It also notes that Flynn isn’t happy about it either, which wouldn’t surprise me. At some level, telling Flynn that, at your size, you have to play without being the primary ball handler is tough. He wants to maximize his value too. That’s clearly as a ball-dominant leader, something he won’t get to be in this scenario. I understand the arguments about BPA, insurance for Rubio, etc. But I do think Kahn made things more complicated than they had to be with this pick.
by Eric in Madison on Jun 29, 2009 9:31 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
They definitely are more complicated...
….but I’d like to know what the alternatives were in that 5 minute period between picks 5 and 6. Curry is a point. That’s the same boat as Flynn and we’d probably be sitting here talking about the same issues. I’ll quibble a bit about DeRozan being the correct pick but even I don’t think he was the BPA at that spot and the team would have likely been giving up value.
This is a pretty good example of why I can’t stand unnamed sources. From the first second he was drafted, Flynn has been saying all the right things about Minny. From the jokes about winter wardrobes to his thoughts on being lucky to be in this position, he’s been nothing but positive. Then comes this quote. Now, if you are a reporter, why do you need to be the medium for this guy’s dirty laundry? This is like all of those ridiculous reports on Politico that go something along the lines of “leading GOP staffers tell us that the climate change bill will not pass the Senate”. On one hand, there will always be a kernel of truth to reports like this. On the other hand, it avoids dealing with why or how and it absolves the person making the accusation from any responsibility as well as making sure the reader has no firm grasp of who’s back is being scratched. Let me assure you: Most of the time, things don’t get said on accident on background. It is calculated and it is a press strategy. From that side of things, you know that the press has to pretend to be unbiased and that that if there’s a “he said” a “she said” isn’t far behind.
Could this be the case with Flynn? Of course, but just write “I believe” in front of it and line up the evidence as you see it. If you are credible and correct, then you gain your readers’ trust.
The World's Leading Exporter of Small Area Quickness
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by Stop-n-Pop on Jun 29, 2009 10:17 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
This is why I just made it a comment
because it’s exactly what you were talking about yesterday (and by the way, is it just me or did you delete the piece you had earlier about Moore?)
I don’t know about other options. I do think that, if it’s true that the drafting of Flynn was an issue for Rubio, that Curry would have mitigated that somewhat. I know “he’s a point guard too” but clearly he isn’t as threatening in that spot because mostly, he’s a shooter, someone who could convert what Rubio can provide. Now, Curry might be unhappy in the same way this piece suggests Flynn is, but that’s a less fraught situation, since Curry would almost certainly not threaten to not come.
by Eric in Madison on Jun 29, 2009 10:34 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
i moved it..
…..to the side bar. i don’t want this site to have too much stuff like that on the main page. that was my bad. i shouldn’t have even responded as the post got to be more about this site vs. that one instead of basketball.
The World's Leading Exporter of Small Area Quickness
www.canishoopus.com
by Stop-n-Pop on Jun 29, 2009 10:43 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ah, now I see it
That was a wise choice.
by Eric in Madison on Jun 29, 2009 10:47 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Just a comment on the 5 minutes...
It’s actually 10 minutes. If you instantly know at pick 5 that you pick RR, you have the 5 minutes from that decision because you can hold off communicating it to Stern for that amount of time. Then you have 5 minutes again before announcing the pick that turned out to be Flynn.
It does not give time for a complex trade, but it does give time to think through the options of taking Flynn vs Curry vs DeRozan, and time to call the Knicks about taking Curry at 6 and then trading Curry to them for their pick (which could have been DeRozan) plus future considerations like a pick next year, and so on.
All of which leads me to believe that the Flynn pick was made in order to backfill the possibility that
RR would have to be traded. I’m guessing that Fegan’s relationship with RR, and Kahn’s knowledge of Fegan, led to a quick decision on Kahn’s part that he would take Flynn and maybe have to deal RR.
I think Kahn will do all he can to keep RR, but at the same time he will be looking at ways to opimize the situation.
The best possible outcome, IMHO, would be to set things up somehow so that Fegan breaks some rule and is barred from ever representing an NBA client again. Could that happen? I have no idea, but I have a visceral dislike of the man.
The interesting thing to me is a statement by someone today that Fegan only represents RR’s interests in the NBA — I would not take that as confirmed, but if true, then we have Fegan’s powers of manipulation working to make sure RR comes to the NBA soon.
This will be an interesting chess match.
by timmuggs on Jun 29, 2009 10:55 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Even ten minutes is nothing...
But the five minutes they had to select Rubio was taken up with some initial surprise/shock, and then also contacting and talking to Rubio’s agent Fegan.
The Wolves had RR available at #5 as a 1-in-100 scenario. How much prep should they have expended on what to do if it happens?
I think that the reality of the current situation is just as Kahn said – the Wolves have to let the situation “breathe”. They got guys that they really wanted, and possibly better value than they expected (i.e. Rubio > Evans). The Wolves can wait for Rubio. They probably can’t trade Flynn right now.
Let’s all just breathe.
by levi_mn on Jun 29, 2009 11:48 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
After RR was not taken at 3, it was apparent that...
…he could fall to 5 and I’ll bet the Wolves draft team started thinking about it then. As soon as we had the 5th pick it was an option that he could fall, and with Sac looking hard at Evans, it should have been at least discussed. I personally thought we could get a shot at RR with pick 5 before the draft started, and I’m not the brightest bulb in the knife drawer :o)
Regardless, I agree, we now have to let the situation breathe.
I would not be surprised if some owner with imagination offered us something really interesting. Dallas might offer Josh Howard, young center Ryan Hollins and Calathes (again) and picks, and take some of our PF contracts from us. It would be something to think about if the Kahn office really wanted Flynn at PG anyway. Cuban likes to roll the dice, and Kidd won’t last forever.
RR’s family would probably like being in a market with strong hispanic population.
Speculation is fun — and whatever we think is irrelevant anyway.
by timmuggs on Jun 29, 2009 12:51 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Irrelevant?!?
Our opinions are not irrelelvant!! Didn’t the Wolves hire someone to scan these boards and report back to the FO? So obviously they care very much what we think!!
( sarcasm alert)
On drafting Ricky and Flynn, I could almost see this in the draft room:
Kahn – OK, we got Rubio and Flynn is our next BPA, any comments on why we shouldn’t draft FLynn?
Everybody else – No, lets get Flynn too!!
Kahn – OK call it in.
Now, I would like to think that didn’t happen, but it’s almost a knee jerk reaction from the past 15 years of FO experience.
Sometimes the obvious is hidden.
by frankenhoops on Jun 29, 2009 1:26 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don’t get why he would do that. Wouldn’t Ricky still be on the hook for 4 million of that buyout? Who cares if he makes a million tax free next year if he’s still 4 million in the hole.
Also, IF (and I stress if) he were to play for another team in Europe, we retain his rights, right? So wouldn’t this potentially be a good thing if it reduced the amount he owed on his buyout? He could play in Turkey for a year and then come over a year after that only owing 3-4 million..
Jennings: F*** the Knicks, them n***** is always going to be weak.
by Xand1 on Jun 29, 2009 9:36 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Because the buyout is not lump sum
He pays it over 3 years and would be making a profit next year of about 1million.
by Mplax on Jun 29, 2009 11:53 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
And, you don't think...
that any new contract he signs with a Euro club has an out clause for the NBA? Riiiiight.
by Grover M on Jun 29, 2009 9:52 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I’m not sure on how it works, I’d have to defer to people who know more about the euroleague. I would assume that if he has to sign a new contract that he’s not going to get into one with a huge buyout knowing that he wants to come to the NBA..
Jennings: F*** the Knicks, them n***** is always going to be weak.
by Xand1 on Jun 29, 2009 10:06 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Makes sense
Basically suggests that any other team in Europe who signs him will be renting him for a year, two at the most. How much of a return on their investment is one year of Rubio worth?
Also, where does the $500K rule come from in the NBA? The CBA? Stern has to know that Rubio in the NBA will improve ratings, especially in the 14th largest media market. I wonder what he’s doing behind the scenes on this—Kahn was his choice he has a good relationship with Kahn and hopefully has accepted our recent suckitude as final penance for the Joe Smith fiasco. He’s got to be helping us, right?
"Come on Eddie, let's get serious."
by biggity2bit on Jun 29, 2009 10:17 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
You have to hope so..
And I remember reading somewhere the Euro players have their rights sold to a new team vs. just buying out their contract and having them sign a new one. Does anyone know if this is true? If it is, then what I said above is doubly true because he gets big $$ in his pocket for next year AND a few mill toward the buyout, meaning he’d be set to come over in a year.
Jennings: F*** the Knicks, them n***** is always going to be weak.
by Xand1 on Jun 29, 2009 10:19 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Playing for another EuroLeague team...
They would be in the exact same situation we would be. Joventut is contractually obligated to sell his rights to any team that meets the buyout number (4.7 mil Euro / 6.6 mil US). However, it is still possible at any point for Joventut to accept an offer that is less than the buyout number. Strictly speaking, Rubio’s camp isn’t trying to lower the buyout…they’re trying to arrive at an amount below the buyout number that Joventut finds acceptable.
At any point in time, any team in Europe is free to bid on Ricky. If they meet the buyout number, or make a lower offer Joventut finds acceptable, said team would be free to negotiate a contract with RR. If RR doesn’t agree to personal terms with them , the deal would off. We are the only NBA team allowed to negotiate terms with him since we hold his draft rights, but we can only contribute $500K US towards his release. RR is responsible for the rest personally.
Long story short, there is very little to fear from other EuroLeague teams. Even though theoretically they can pay the entire buyout themselves, even the truly huge teams can’t afford it, and then pay RR over 1 mil Euro per year on top of that. Also, RR’s long-term earning potential is 10 times here what it is in Europe. If he stays in Europe, it will be with his current team only and in 2 years the buyout is ZERO. RR’s Spanish team needs to get his done sooner rather than later, as they lose leverage as time goes on, and lose it completely in 2 years.
"I'm gonna make you cry...I'm gonna make you cry and dip my cookie in your tears!!!"
by mutleyil on Jun 29, 2009 7:41 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I am now on prescription medication because of the Timberwolves.
But primarily anti-anxiety meds and not anti-depressants. For the longest time, it was the sickening knowledge that our team was not terrible enough to improve through the draft without luck combined with the knowledge that our front office was not good enough to improve through trades and free agency that led me to dark thoughts about the future of my fandom, condemned as it was to years of 30-win teams or borderline playoff chases with no real hope of winning a first round series in the Western conference.
Now, finally, I am taxed by different emotions. The night we drafted Rubio was one of the truly exciting moments in the last few months for me, as I’ve been talking about him so much for the last year that my girlfriend thinks I have a man-crush on him. (Which, coincidentally, I do; she even talked about it as a “man-boy crush” when Rubio was still a minor, which was funny in a sort of humiliating way.) There are two things I know about this current, completely crazy situation.
First, there is NO way I would trade the current uncertainty for the whole, “Yeah, we could have drafted Rubio, but Curry and DeRozan were givens and gave us a summer of focus,” type situation. From my perspective, Rubio embodies the aesthetic I like in point guard play, the creativity that transforms teammates into the best they can be, and the promise of a truly great team when he matures. One other player in the draft had that sort of potential, and I would dare to say that Rubio could very well end up being much, much better than Griffin. The idea of putting Rubio and Love on the court together makes me think about the Brewers and Carneys of the world only having to be at the right place at the right time to contribute, the Ellingtons of the world being able to count on off-the-ball efforts being rewarded, and the seats of the Target Center increasingly less visible from my TV set. This is what Rubio offers. Whether he delivers is irrelevant at this point. He has already delivered a much needed shot of adrenaline to my veins—arguably too much for a Ph.D. student trying to concentrate on a dissertation.
For once I am not completely convinced that we are locked into mediocrity. For once I am nervous that the fish on the line might be the biggest I’ve caught, instead of being nervous that there are no fish in the lake. Minnesota has the rights to Ricky Rubio, I cheer for a real team with the potential to start a global icon. And I would never trade this for a summer of sure-things from a mediocre draft. Long live David Kahn!
by TheH on Jun 29, 2009 10:59 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Anti-anxiety meds is a step up from anti-depressants, I say
Great post.
by princelyfrank on Jun 29, 2009 9:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Agreed...
fantastic post. Love + Rubio would be exciting as hell.
The World's Leading Exporter of Small Area Quickness
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by Stop-n-Pop on Jun 30, 2009 9:19 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I still think we should have traded down to 2 right away
Go from 5 and 6 to 2 and 8/9. Then we take Rubio and his buyout is that much less problematic….we may even still end up with Flynn as he would have been on the board at 8 I am sure. Or we could have scrapped Rubio and taken Harden and then ended up with a PG and a SG in the top 10.
Assuming we take Rubio though as we should have (assuming we talked to him and his agent and family and they were in favor of playing here b4 we took another guard), we can take DeRozan as the second BPA behind Flynn, or taken Flynn and trade down again to take Henderson or Williams.
I completely disagree with how we handled it, not because of the assets we could have gotten for Rubio or the assets we could get for Flynn now (little to nothing), but because of the assets we could have gotten from the 6th pick. Rubio, DeRozan (Ellington backup- he was a great pickup), and Chandler (worst case scenario) looks a helluva lot better than 2 unhappy pgs Rubio and Flynn, with Ellington.
Unfortunately for my other scenario of Henderson and WIlliams, they both went pretty high this year because of the lack of SGs and might not have been the best value picks at 11 and 12.
by Mplax on Jun 29, 2009 12:04 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
So
Essentially our saying that the Wolves should have traded more assets, probably Pekovic + #18 at a minimum to move up in the draft to #3, as Memphis was asking for 5 + 6 or 6 + KLove, and then traded down and we have drafted Flynn.
Interesting. The Knicks only offered to trade up to #5 to grab Rubio, as far as I know, they didn’t offer Chandler + 8 to move up to 6 to pick Curry, which makes sense, because Chandler is probably their only trade asset and they had both Hill and Curry high on their board.
Either way, the ramifications of these moves are Rubio makes more money, we’d pick Flynn at #9 most likely, and we’d trade Charlotte’s pick for Wilson Chandler. As much as I want to coddle RR to come over to Minnesota, that doesn’t sound like a good basketball decision.
by Ebomb on Jun 29, 2009 12:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Sorry
I meant a 3 team deal where we trade 5 and 6, another team sends some assets to Mem and takes back a bad contract, and they both send us their picks while one moves to 5 and the other moves to 6….let them figure out who goes where by who gives up what.
by Mplax on Jun 29, 2009 12:13 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Endorsements for Rubio
No one has mentioned that Rubio would be in line for some serious international endorsements by playing in the NBA. I think there might a small shoe company in Oregon that wouldn’t mind playing Rubio millions of dollars to sell the Rubio shoe in Europe. He won’t get that deal if he doesn’t play in the NBA.
Come on. If LeBron, the best player in the world, can be play in Cleveland, then Rubio can play in Minnesota.
by jgale on Jun 29, 2009 12:08 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I did mention that
In reply to one of the first few comments
by Mplax on Jun 29, 2009 12:09 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Kid's a star
The camera loves him.
by princelyfrank on Jun 29, 2009 9:01 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hey, how about we have some fun here
Anyone got some good ideas for products to market once Rubio comes over? Let’s make a list and send him some endorsement ideas to supplement his income.
How about his own line of Gatorade products in the spanish language? Gatorade Lobos or Gatorade Fuego… I’d drink a tasty blue wolf Gatorade, wouldn’t you? Ok so that one maybe only in MN and Europe…but still…. I’m not the most creative of people, give us some ideas!
by Mplax on Jun 29, 2009 12:16 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
For the first time ever,
we could have multiple people on the cover of NBA Live or 2K10. All of the guys from the Spanish olympic team that are in the NBA?
by Mplax on Jun 29, 2009 12:20 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Rice-A-Roni
Spanish Rice – the Minnesota treat?
by John H IL on Jun 29, 2009 1:45 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
How about Rubio Wobegon Home Tutored Spanish Lessons
All users are guaranteed to be graded above average.
by timmuggs on Jun 29, 2009 4:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Rube-etta Stone?
Teaches you the Spanish language and how to pull off sick, no-look passes…
"I'm gonna make you cry...I'm gonna make you cry and dip my cookie in your tears!!!"
by mutleyil on Jun 29, 2009 7:46 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Spanish Language remake of "High School Musical"?
Gotta gotta gotta keep my head in the game!
Somebody else’ll have to the translation for me,
by princelyfrank on Jun 29, 2009 9:03 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
This kid has the
charisma to get movie roles in the off season.
Will the Real Thor Please Stand Up ... ?
by the Real Thor on Jun 30, 2009 7:37 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
and better ones then
the Shaq of steel.
Will the Real Thor Please Stand Up ... ?
by the Real Thor on Jun 30, 2009 7:38 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
But can he rap? And more importantly, would anyone boogie to his pool jam?
Jennings: F*** the Knicks, them n***** is always going to be weak.
by Xand1 on Jun 30, 2009 8:19 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
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