The Wolves, sources say, have called Phoenix as much as anyone, despite that they're well aware Nash has only one year left on his contract after this season and have to presume he'd have little interest in a long-term stay in Minnesota. That they couldn't count on having Nash for more than one season, as we've noted, is why the Wolves can't afford to build an offer for Nash around Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio. For all of his struggles with Barcelona this season, Rubio remains too prized a commodity for the Wolves to give him up for Nash and then watch Nash walk away a season later. Have to applaud Minnesota for its ambition, though. I've likewise heard, despite all the factors listed here that make us question why the Wolves would even bother chasing Nash, they have not offered Rubio to the Suns for a different reason. In the Wolves' Nash fantasy, I'm told, they dream of constructing a multi-team deal that brings Nash to Sota as a mentor for Rubio. At least one prominent member of the organization thinks we're going to start hearing more about Rubio, who turns 21 years old in October and has the Wolves convinced that his playmaking wizardry will play much better in the NBA than it has in the Spanish League once he's surrounded by elite athletes and operating in an environment that isn't as rigid. "One big factor in our future is Ricky Rubio," Wolves newly minted All-Star forward Kevin Love wrote in a recent entry to his regular blog for GQ. "He's either going to come play for us and have a real impact on our team, or he's going to have a lot of [trade] value around the league. One way or another, he's a vital piece hanging out there. And for us to move 100 percent forward, something needs to happen with him soon."