RealGM

"I think he understands he has a gold nugget," Shea said. "The price of gold is always going up. He's only 18, so Rubio's stock will go up next year. He drafted so many point guards because of this. He's in the driver's seat. He doesn't have to trade him to the first suitors. (In an online letter to Minnesota fans, Kahn said he's willing to wait one or two years on Rubio, who could use seasoning).

As for Rubio's interest in the Knicks, Shea said, "In a meeting back in February, I suggested to the parents New York would be the best place because they have a European style coach in Mike D'Antoni and they agree. The mother loves the idea. She said there's a direct flight to Barcelona and talked about the shopping and living there."

http://www.nypost.com/seven/06282009/sp ... 176502.htm

They need to send a message to these prima donnas who attempt to choose where to play.

I say, if he won't play in Minny, give them the same pick next year, and NBA suspend Rubio for life. Let him stay in Europe. Good riddance.

Dave, you have to understand that whole basketball process is different in Europe. There is no draft, no trading, players sign with teams they want. So, for european draftees it is a completely new thing, it is something they need to adjust to and get comfortable with...

Dave_From_NB wrote:They need to send a message to these prima donnas who attempt to choose where to play.

I say, if he won't play in Minny, give them the same pick next year, and NBA suspend Rubio for life. Let him stay in Europe. Good riddance.

Agreed. I don't care if things are different over there. This is the NBA and rookies don't get to choose where they play. You'd think they would be happy just to make the NBA. He can always go to another team when his years with Minny are up.

Rubio can do whatever he wants. No one says he has to play in the NBA. The draft is unethical anyway. Why should you be forced to play in Minny if you don't want to?

That's another story. But, Rubio at 20 years old would be coup for Minny. They have Flynn run the point, and Rubio can come over in two years after his contract is up.

That means they get Rubio from 20-24 under contract cheap. Minny aint' winning now anyway. This is like Red drafting Larry Bird and waiting a year. Brilliant if it work out.

I don't think it is a mess. I think they were smart to take what is perceived by many as the best player available. Some teams like the Knicks still have a hard on for the kid.

jfs1000d wrote:Rubio can do whatever he wants. No one says he has to play in the NBA. The draft is unethical anyway. Why should you be forced to play in Minny if you don't want to?

That's another story. But, Rubio at 20 years old would be coup for Minny. They have Flynn run the point, and Rubio can come over in two years after his contract is up.

That means they get Rubio from 20-24 under contract cheap. Minny aint' winning now anyway. This is like Red drafting Larry Bird and waiting a year. Brilliant if it work out.

+1 on that, though I wish he'd buck up, prove he's a star, and help our friend Big Al.

Dave_From_NB wrote:They need to send a message to these prima donnas who attempt to choose where to play.
I say, if he won't play in Minny, give them the same pick next year, and NBA suspend Rubio for life. Let him stay in Europe. Good riddance.

Seems a little drastic, don't you think?
You know this is still the US and most people can choose where they want to work and live. I understand the issues of being in the NBA and the Union contract they have, but I find it a little challenging to fault this kid or his family for things you and I take for granted.

CeltsfaninDC wrote:

Dave_From_NB wrote:They need to send a message to these prima donnas who attempt to choose where to play.
I say, if he won't play in Minny, give them the same pick next year, and NBA suspend Rubio for life. Let him stay in Europe. Good riddance.

Seems a little drastic, don't you think?
You know this is still the US and most people can choose where they want to work and live. I understand the issues of being in the NBA and the Union contract they have, but I find it a little challenging to fault this kid or his family for things you and I take for granted.

Yeah, and in the US, NBA rookies DON'T get to choose where they works. Why should Rubio be any different than any other rookie? If he wants to choose where he works, go work outside of the NBA, like the rest of us that get to choose. Top picks go to bad teams so they can improve. If rookies got to choose, no one would be playing for teams like the Clippers, Golden State, Sacramento, etc.

the nba has long had these types of rules. if rubio wants to play in the nba, he needs to work within the rules. it's not like he has a natural right to play in the nba in the first place. why should he have the right to play wherever in the nba he wants?

that being said, i'm all for him trying to do what he can within the rules to get to where he wants to go. it's all part of the process and it's there for a reason.

CeltsfaninDC wrote:

Dave_From_NB wrote:They need to send a message to these prima donnas who attempt to choose where to play.
I say, if he won't play in Minny, give them the same pick next year, and NBA suspend Rubio for life. Let him stay in Europe. Good riddance.

Seems a little drastic, don't you think?
You know this is still the US and most people can choose where they want to work and live. I understand the issues of being in the NBA and the Union contract they have, but I find it a little challenging to fault this kid or his family for things you and I take for granted.

If he is only going to play in NYC, then he should have just declared it and been done with it. Of he should have declared he wasn't interested in the NBA at all, since he apparently either knows nothing about it, or isn't prepared to deal with their rules. He probably slipped in the draft because others didn't want to deal with it.

Yes it's drastic, if you have another method of penalizing these guys, I'm all ears.

I don't think it's a mess. They made out like bandits grabbing Rubio for Foye and Miller. I hope the boy gets to play next season in Minnesota and feeds Al. But if they have to wait another year for him, it will be worth it.

I think some of you need to understand the rules before spouting off about what the NBA should do. The NBA allows teams to draft essentially the American Basketball rights to a player under contract to another International Basketball organiazation, with or without the individual's consent. He would be drafted at 21 years whether he put his name in the draft or not. Add to that the NBA is unwilling to secure their release from the team they are under contract with. In Rubio's case he makes $94,000 but it will cost him 5 mil to get out of his deal, the NBA isn't going to help him very much and limit his salary to only 2.7 mil.

How these individual players manipulate that process is all up to them. Rubio has likely secured as high a draft pick and therefore salary as he could in the NBA draft process. I would expect him to turn around and see if he can't secure a better deal than 5 years 20 mil in Europe. This kid is probably the first that could really start to bust up this system. At his age he could spend two more years overseas and then say he would be willing to come overseason and play for the team that holds his draft rights but they will have to waive him and sign him to a FA deal.

Ricky Rubio doesn't owe the Wolves or the NBA a damn thing.