Ricky Rubio and Fran V

[drsd]

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Magic fan here:

It is widely assumed by fans in Orlando that Fran Vázquez will not play for Orlando. But he might decide to play in the NBA next year.

In Orlando's press, Rubio had this to say yesterday:

Ricky Rubio knows Fran Vázquez well. They played together on Regal FC Barçelona in Spain and on the Spanish national team.

Rubio thinks Vázquez can help the Magic if Vázquez decides to sign with the Magic when his contract with Barçelona ends after this season.

"He's physically ready to come here [and play in the NBA]," Rubio said of the 6-foot-10 big man. "I played with him a couple of years in Barçelona, and it's easy to play with him because he doesn't need the ball. He's a worker. He's going to fight for every rebound. He's going to fight every possession. And you can throw the ball in there, and he's going to catch it and throw it down."

O-Sen: LINK


Given the connections he developed with Rubio, is there discussions by Minnesota fans that Orlando might be interested in trading the draft right of Vázquez to the Wolves?

What would be a perceived "fair package" for Wolves fans?

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[Narf]

Vazquez has very little value anymore. I'd say he's worth a 2nd round pick. He won't come over for Orlando, and Minnesota really doesn't have any place to put him.

Now, if he's willing to come to Minnesota and says so that's different. We can make room. But he's been pretty clear he isn't coming over. Basically we're being offered the chance for Kahn to try and woo him.

[sisibilio]

Vazquez has very little value anymore. I'd say he's worth a 2nd round pick. He won't come over for Orlando, and Minnesota really doesn't have any place to put him.

Now, if he's willing to come to Minnesota and says so that's different. We can make room. But he's been pretty clear he isn't coming over. Basically we're being offered the chance for Kahn to try and woo him.

He signed a 1 year contract last summer with Barcelona so he would be free to decide where to go in 2012 and all point that he had a possible jump to the NBA in mind.
I wouldn't sell the farm to get him but at the very least he'd be an upgrade over the Darko we're seeing this season.

Edit: Actually he said it explicitely...
http://www.mundodeportivo.com/20110623/ ... 82433.html

[shangrila]

Eh, if you're looking for something valuable we probably won't give it. Maybe swap Euro prospects, like Prestes or Bjelica for Vasquez?

[cojayar]

Fran Vazquez is a PF. This team needs a SG and a C.
He is also getting older and his physical advantage will decrease.
He is not very smart but has a correct BBIQ.
If you trade DWill can be a good back up for Love for 12-18 min per game.

[Dewey]

We can always use a rebounder ... >>>Darko, Miller, Tolliver, AR, etc

[cpfsf]

This is going to appear really OT. In theory, it should make more sense towards the end. A lot of fans like to believe their team is being oppressed in one way or another. For example, "If Josh Smith stomped Scola's face, he would have got in more trouble than Love." Nobody actually used Josh Smith as an example (at least not that I'm aware of), but I read a lot of posts where fans believed their star player would have received harsher treatment for the same act.

Danger, I'm going to act like an oppressed fan. In this case if we traded for Vazquez and he stayed in Spain, I think Kahn would get the most crap out of any GM for losing a 2nd round pick for nothing, even though second round picks are practically like taking shot in the dark. If any other GM did the same exact trade, I don't think they would be criticized as much.

What were we talking about again? Oh, right the trade. I'd just offer a second round pick.

[Mr Dew]

Fran Vazquez is a PF. This team needs a SG and a C.
He is also getting older and his physical advantage will decrease.
He is not very smart but has a correct BBIQ.
If you trade DWill can be a good back up for Love for 12-18 min per game.

^This. Unless he can play center as a back-up to Pek, I have no interest unless we end up dealing Williams. If he actually wanted to come over, I would have no problem with him as the primary back to Love for 10-15 minutes per game.

[UcanUwill]

Fran is clearly a C, how is he PF? Bjelica for Fran sounds about right...

I take him over Darko. Fran is just as good of a shotblocker, and he and Rubio could create solid Spanish connection. Those 2 alone gives you Lob City by default.

[touchedbyPek]

We'll give you Henk Norel, Loukas Mavrokefalidis or something and Paolo Prestes for Fran

[sseppel]

First things first, Fran Vázquez IS a center. The problem comes when he has to defend much heavier centers, because he is kinda skinny. But he is a good defender and has resources when attacking, too. Anyway, if I were an NBA team, i would think twice if i'm going to sign him. The issue with Fran Vázquez is his head. To be honest, he doesn't look like an smart guy at all. He seems very influenced by his family and specially by his girfriend (by the way, they say she cheated on him with more than one football (soccer) and basketball player when he was in Málaga ). They even say that he wouldn't go to the national team the last couple of years because his girlfriend forbid it after some players made a party with girls involved. And she doesn't want to leave the country. I don't think he or his girlfriend would adapt to the language, the american lifestyle and so on.

On the court, he can be a very good backup center. But I don't think he ends up coming. If he comes it's because he is not risking anything nor losing money in Europe. If he can get the same money in Spain than in the NBA, he won't go.

[Klomp]

An interesting take on Fran:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Bxy3Yq03k4[/youtube]

[sisibilio]

Fran is clearly a C, how is he PF? Bjelica for Fran sounds about right...

I take him over Darko. Fran is just as good of a shotblocker, and he and Rubio could create solid Spanish connection. Those 2 alone gives you Lob City by default.

Yea, he only played as a PF mostly his first year in Girona and wasn't exactly his best year.

[Devilzsidewalk]

Darko,Randolph, and Ridnour for Hedo and Fran, then get bring in Sead Sehovic to replace Darko as Peki's guy to talk to and we're good to go

[jscott]

Fran is clearly a C, how is he PF? Bjelica for Fran sounds about right...

I don't think I'd deal Nemanja Bjelica for him.

Fran has almost 0 value to anyone other than the Timberwolves and even to us he doesn't have much. I think there is a better shot that you get some production out of Bjelica than you do out of Fran.

I think Fran is closer to being NBA ready but I'm not sure he'll ever chose to be an NBA player.

[Raptor_Claw]

Fran Vazquez is a PF. This team needs a SG and a C.
He is also getting older and his physical advantage will decrease.
He is not very smart but has a correct BBIQ.
If you trade DWill can be a good back up for Love for 12-18 min per game.

Vazquez is a center, 100%.

We'll give you Henk Norel, Loukas Mavrokefalidis or something and Paolo Prestes for Fran

You really do not want to trade the rights to Mavrokefalidis. He is an absolute beast on offense. A 3 man rotation of Love/Pekovic at the 4/5 and Mavrokefalidis off the bench would be an absolute nightmare.

[anuroc]

Vazquez is a blonde Antonhy Randolph. But he's got an advantage over Randolph: he is aware of his limitations on the court, so he doesn't make bonehead plays very often.

[cojayar]

Now that to be a PF you need to shoot 3pt. it seems that everybody playing near the rim is a C.

Fran has no body to be an effective Center in the NBA. For me is less of a C than than Pau Gasol.
For sure he can play C some minutes but not against all teams. Also love can play C sometimes.
Fran would be way more effective in the NBA playing PF than acting as a center. At least this is how I see it.