Tag: Ricky Rubio

Ricky Rubio traded for draft rights to 17th pick Aleksej Pokusevski

After a whirlwind of trades, the Thunder will walk away from the 2020 NBA Draft with the rights to the 17th overall pick.

After a flurry of moves, Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti essentially worked his way down to the 17th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

On Wednesday night, the Thunder executed a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves which saw the club send the 25th and 28th overall picks to Minneapolis in exchange for a package that includes the rights to Aleksej Pokusevski — the 17th overall pick.

To say it’s been a busy week for the Thunder would be an understatement.

Dennis Schroder and Chris Paul were each traded by the club earlier this week, and both players and picks that were acquired for them were then used to acquire the 17th overall pick from Minnesota.

In Pokusevski, the Thunder draft a player that many consider to be a “home run swing,” meaning that his potential could make the assets used to acquire him worth it in long run. Standing 7-foot tall, Pokusevski hails from Serbia, where has rose to prominence on the international basketball scene.

His scouting report available on NBA.com, partially states the following about the newest member of the Thunder:

Aleksej Pokusevski is one of the most unique players of this year’s NBA Draft given his combination of size, feel and perimeter skill set… Pokusevski built a strong resume in FIBA competitions. He never put up fancy statistics because his thin body hasn’t allowed him to be dominant against his peers, but showed how high his upside is if physicality ever catches up to his skill.

At least initially, Pokusevski is expected to be a work-in-progress on the defensive end of the basketball, but he is believed that have the skillset and attributes necessary to excel in today’s NBA, especially as a big man.

Earlier this week, The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor correctly predicted that the Thunder had interest in the big man, at the time referring to him as potentially being “the steal of the draft.”

A flurry of moves led Presti to Pokusevski, so he certainly hopes that O’Connor’s words ring true.

Thunder trade Ricky Rubio to Timberwolves for 17th pick in 2020 draft

After being acquired from the Phoenix Suns, the Thunder are sending Ricky Rubio back to where it all began for him, Minnesota.

Like Danny Green, Ricky Rubio’s tenure with the Oklahoma City Thunder was short-lived.

During the 2020 NBA Draft, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Thunder will trade Ricky Rubio to the Minnesota Timberwolves along with the 25th and 28th overall picks in the 2020 Draft for a package of assets that includes the 17th overall pick in the 2020 draft.

The news of the discussions was first reported by The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski, with Wojnarowski seemingly being first to the news of the deal actually occurring.

For Sam Presti, the trade is just the latest in a flurry of moves that have seen the Thunder move players in (and out) in an almost unprecedented way.

On Sunday, the team agreed to trade Dennis Schroder to the Los Angeles Lakers before trading Chris Paul to the Phoenix Suns shortly thereafter. Presti then traded Green, whom the team acquired from the Lakers in the Schroder deal, to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Al Horford.

Rubio, included in the Paul trade, was then traded to Minneapolis. In the end, the Thunder will walk away from the 2020 NBA Draft with the 17th and 34th overall picks.

That is, of course, unless Presti continues to make moves — something that’s obviously should still be considered to be within the realm of possibility.

The Athletic grades Chris Paul ‘A’ for Thunder, ‘A-‘ for Suns

The Athletic likes the Oklahoma City Thunder’s return in the Chris Paul deal and thinks the Phoenix Suns made a calculated risk.

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The Athletic’s Zach Harper knows the Phoenix Suns will improve with Chris Paul, but that doesn’t mean he counts them the winners of the blockbuster trade.

After Oklahoma City Thunder shipped Paul and Abdel Nader to Phoenix for Kelly Oubre Jr., Ricky Rubio, Ty Jerome, Jalen Lecque and a protected 2022 first-round pick, Harper said the Thunder got the slightly better end of the deal.

He gave the Thunder an ‘A’ grade for the trade.

The Suns got an ‘A-.’

Harper wrote:

“There is a lot to love about this trade for the Thunder. Not only do they save money and bring in such intriguing young players as Ty Jerome and Jalen Lecque, but also they have veterans they can flip once again.”

Those veterans may not immediately be traded, Harper said. He speculated there’s a good chance Rubio plays for the Thunder this season before being traded in the 2021 offseason or at the 2022 deadline.

Oubre, meanwhile, has a contract that expires in 2021, so he would have to be traded this offseason or coming season — unless the Thunder want to keep him for the rebuild.

“If [Sam Presti] decides to keep Oubre and try to re-sign him, he just adds to the long-term length and athleticism of wings the Thunder have.”

Harper wrote Jerome could be “an excellent third guard off the bench” and that Lecque’s athleticism makes him a player worth watching.

“He, in fact, might be the most athletic guy on the Thunder, which is something considering they have Terrance Ferguson and Hamidou Diallo on the squad. They’ll throw him into the development program and see what they can churn out with his skill set.”

Harper called the 2022 draft pick “a bit of a gamble” considering the Suns are officially in win-now mode and, in an ideal world for Phoenix, would have a pick in the 20s.

That pick may end up not being a game changer, but it’s not the roll of the dice that trading for Paul on his contract is.

Harper called it “a huge risk for the Suns” before acknowledging that “it’s a calculated risk.” With Paul, Phoenix should make the playoffs and Booker should be able to make an All-NBA team. Yet with Paul’s age, contract and injury history, Harper was tentative in calling it an overwhelming victory for the Suns.

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Ricky Rubio reacts to being traded by Suns in exchange for Chris Paul

For the second time in his career, Ricky Rubio will be traded.

It’s hard to believe that Ricky Rubio just completed his ninth season in the NBA. After being drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the fifth pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, Rubio would spend two years in Spain before making his debut for the T-Wolves in 2011.

He’d spend six years in the Twin Cities, but, after being included in the trade that will send Chris Paul to the Phoenix Suns, Rubio will be suiting up for his third team in three years.

He’s learned, first-hand, that life in the NBA comes at you fast.

Shortly after news of the trade made the rounds, Rubio took to Twitter to express some sentiments that can be reasonably believed to be a reaction to the news that he’s headed to Oklahoma City.

“… what a business,” he tweeted Monday afternoon.

All things considered, it’s fair to say that Rubio experienced a bit of a renaissance in his one season in Phoenix. He’d spent the prior two years in Utah, where he averaged just 5.3 and 6.1 assists per game, respectively. In Phoenix, in slightly more playing time, he gave Monty Williams 8.1 assists per game — improving on his career mark of 7.8 assists per game and showing some serious bounce-back-ability after slipping a bit in Utah.

Similarly, Rubio connected on a career-high 36.1% of his three-point shots in Phoenix. He was instrumental in the Suns going an impressive 8-0 in the Orlando bubble and, like many of his teammates, was probably looking forward to running it back in 2020-21 to see if they could build upon their success and end the Suns’ 10-year playoff drought.

Now, instead, he’s heading to Oklahoma City — a destination where a lengthy rebuild awaits and one where a postseason berth appears to be far from a priority.

The fortunate part is that it won’t take too long for the masses to hear from Rubio. Media day for the 2020-21 season is just a few weeks away.

Rubio, Oubre, more: Analyzing the Thunder’s return from the Suns for Chris Paul

The Oklahoma City Thunder are reportedly trading Chris Paul to the Phoenix Suns for Ricky Rubio, Kelly Oubre and others. Take a look at the return here.

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The Oklahoma City Thunder are going through yet another massive roster shift this offseason.

Chris Paul and Abdel Nader will be traded to the Phoenix Suns for point guard Ricky Rubio, wing Kelly Oubre, second-year guard Ty Jerome, second-year guard Jalen Lecque and a 2022 first-round draft pick with protections, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

The Thunder are unlikely to go the full season with Rubio and Oubre, as both can be used as trade pieces on short contracts, but let’s take a look at the newcomers and see what they can offer to their new team.

Report: Thunder trade Chris Paul to Suns for Rubio, Oubre, draft pick

Chris Paul has been traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Phoenix Suns for Ricky Rubio, Kelly Oubre and a future draft pick.

After one year in Oklahoma City, star point guard Chris Paul is on the move.

The All-Star has been traded to the Phoenix Suns for wing Kelly Oubre, point guard Ricky Rubio, second-year guards Ty Jerome and Jalen Lecque, and a 2022 first-round draft pick, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania.

Oklahoma City is also sending Abdel Nader in the deal.

Paul returned to All-NBA form with the Thunder, leading a young group to the playoffs and tying for the fourth-best record in the Western Conference.

In pushing the team to unexpected heights, he regained trade value despite having more than $85 million attached to the next two years of his contract.

In return, the Thunder are getting two young guards, a pair of players who have trade value and a protected future first-round pick.

Rubio was an excellent presence for the Suns this season, serving a role similar to Paul, though his play was at a lower level. He provided the young Phoenix team with an experienced playmaker whose feel for the game and calming demeanor helped the team win more games than they had since 2015, even with the shortened season.

With two years left on his contract for a little less than $35 million, Rubio can fetch a return from a team in need of veteran guard leadership.

Oubre is a more interesting piece. He heightened his game to a new level last year, averaging 18.7 points and increasing his 3-point percentage to 35%. He can create his own looks and drives to the lane well, and was surprisingly clutch from deep late in close games.

He turns 25 in December. His talent level on an expiring deal can likely net the Thunder another draft pick or young player on a longer deal, or Oklahoma City could even look at him as a long-term wing option to pair with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort and Darius Bazley.

Jerome was a first-round pick last year whose rights were traded from the Boston Celtics to the Phoenix Suns on draft night. The now-23-year-old did not get much playing time but will have less backcourt competition on the Thunder.

Lecque spent most of last season in the G League. He’s a developmental project known for his dunking ability.

The draft pick is protected 1-12 in 2022, 1-10 in 2023, 1-8 in 2024 and unprotected in 2025, according to Charania.

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Report: Phoenix Suns have had trade discussions for Chris Paul with OKC

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps report that the Phoenix Suns have had discussions with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the All-Star.

With the NBA’s Board of Governors approving the latest changes that were agreed to by the NBPA, the specter of the offseason looms over the league more than ever. The draft is only eight days away and then the free agency period will start a day and a half later on Nov. 20, where a whirlwind of deals will go down. But the NBA is also likely to lift their trade moratorium before the draft, which brings us to the first trade rumor of the offseason.

ESPN.com’s Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps report that the Phoenix Suns have had discussions with the Oklahoma City Thunder for Chris Paul, who had been seen by some as a potential target for the Lakers. The Suns were one of the best stories in the Orlando Bubble, going 8-0 in the seeding games only to barely miss the play-in series to get the 8th seed in the Western Conference.

It’s not clear who has been offered, but it doesn’t take much to see the Suns looking to move point guard Ricky Rubio, as well as forward Kelly Oubre Jr., who did not play in the bubble. Young wings Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson shined during the Suns run, as well as Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton.

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The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie mocks LaMelo Ball No. 2 overall to Suns

In his latest mock draft, The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie projected LaMelo Ball to land in a new spot in the 2020 NBA Draft.

While some recent mock drafts have seen LaMelo Ball fall outside the top three, Sam Vecenie’s latest mock draft breaks that trend. Always one of Ball’s most ardent defenders as the top prospect in the 2020 NBA Draft, Vecenie’s newest mock draft for The Athletic, his sixth in total, saw Ball go second to the Phoenix Suns.

Astute followers of the 2020 NBA mock draft would notice the Suns typically do not have the second pick. Vecenie ran a lottery simulation via Tankathon to get his order, which saw the Suns jump into the top three.

Here’s Vecenie’s explanation on why Phoenix should go for Ball:

“If I were with Phoenix and we got lucky enough to move up on draft night, I’d want to take a home run swing on someone who could really take the team into the next stratosphere in terms of upside. Ball’s ability in pick-and-roll would really help create easier shots for Ayton, and would allow Booker to play more off ball and get free as a scorer. Ricky Rubio’s addition was super helpful to the team in that regard, helping to foster the development of those two young stars. But given his contract and age, Rubio obviously isn’t the long-term answer. Ball would bring many of the same qualities Rubio does, just with much more upside due to his body control and ability to create separation being stronger.”

Phoenix has not been a landing spot often discussed for Ball as the Suns have been closer to a playoff contender than atop the draft lottery standings. But if they were to have a bit of luck on the night of the draft lottery, the Suns could land the final piece of their rebuild.

In the backcourt, Ball would find himself with two great partners in Devin Booker and Ricky Rubio. The former would be his long-term partner and would help create one of the best young pairings in the league. The latter would serve as a short-term mentor that could be particularly beneficial to him.

Rubio is a player that has carved out a lengthy career with a spotty outside shot. While Ball’s shot projects to be better than his percentages from the NBL, he could still learn some tricks of the trade. Rubio also has gained a reputation as an above-average defender at the point guard position, another area that Ball could benefit to learn some tips from.

In all, it would be a solid landing spot for Ball as it would provide him both an opportunity at long-term success but without the pressure of contributing from day one.

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Where do Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell rank among most prolific lob duos?

As the Utah Jazz now resume basketball activities, there are major issues they need to fix regarding stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell.

As the Utah Jazz now resume basketball activities, there are major issues they need to fix regarding stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell.

After so much time off due to the coronavirus pandemic, there will be a lot to iron out for all rosters. But the recent gap also exposed some harsh truths about the two best players on the Jazz.

In a recent story, Tim MacMahon reported that Gobert feels he should receive more lobs from Mitchell (via ESPN):

“Gobert rarely hesitates to let teammates know if they miss him when he is open around the rim. He’ll occasionally point up during play in animated fashion, sometimes as he is running back on defense, to note that a lob should have been thrown …  Gobert knows his lobbying for lobs wears on teammates to the point of being counterproductive, like the wide receiver who gripes at the quarterback after every play when a pass isn’t thrown his way, regardless of the pass rush.”

Gobert led all NBA players with 306 dunks recorded last season, according to Basketball-Reference. But even when including alley-oops layups, the big man paired with Mitchell for only 28 lob connections during their 2018-19 campaign.

Considering that Gobert attempted 125 alley-oops in 2018-19 (17.6 percent of his total attempts from the field), this is certainly a major offensive focal point for the two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

As such, McMahon continued, the two players have specifically worked on their “lob chemistry” in individualized practice sessions to further avoid the blunders like the one seen above during their game against Denver back in January:

“Utah coach Quin Snyder and his staff have attempted to help facilitate that trust, especially between Mitchell and Gobert. That duo have had dozens of two-man workouts under the watch of coaches, with a focus on ironing out intricacies of their pick-and-roll partnership and lob chemistry. They also occasionally join coaches – usually some combination of Snyder, Jensen and Johnnie Bryant, the assistant who works most with Mitchell – for small-group film sessions at the team’s facility.”

Gobert made 16 alley-oops following passes from Mitchell, per NBA.com. This accounted for 4.5 percent of his total field goal count, down from 5.9 percent last season. This would average out to approximately 0.36 connections per 36 minutes when looking at their total time spent (1607 minutes) on the court together, down from 0.48 last season.

For a better understanding of how that compares to other lob threats around the league, we looked at the top combinations on this play type. Brooklyn’s Spencer Dinwiddie assisted DeAndre Jordan on 46 alley-oop opportunities this season. This means they averaged 2.76 alley-oops per 36 minutes shared (599 minutes) on the floor.

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

While these two players are no longer on the same roster, Houston’s James Harden and former teammate Clint Capela were also successful on 46 of their alley-oop possessions. Capela, now on the Atlanta Hawks, was able to catch 1.53 alley-oops per 36 minutes that he played alongside Harden (1,082) in 2019-20.

Other prolific pairings in the NBA this season include Dinwiddie-to-Jarrett Allen (40), Trae Young-to-John Collins (36), LeBron James-to-Anthony Davis (34), Chris Paul-to-Nerlens Noel (33) and Elfrid Payton-to-Mitchell Robinson (33).

The data makes it clear that there is certainly room for more lob connections between the two players. However, considering how rare these opportunities are even for the most prolific duo, perhaps there are other aspects of offense to worry about in Utah.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report.

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Gallinari delivers coronavirus message on behalf of WHO and NBAPA

Gallinari joined Rui Hachimora and Ricky Rubio to emphasize staying safe and practicing good habits amid the health crisis.

Danilo Gallinari joined fellow international stars Rui Hachimora and Ricky Rubio to deliver a message about the coronavirus on behalf of the World Health Organization and the NBA Player’s Association.

The video, posted on the NBA’s Twitter account, starts with Gallinari saying that he knows “we are facing a very tough moment with the spread of the coronavirus”.

Hachimura then adds that “it’s tough but we all have to help each other”, followed by Rubio giving a shout out to “doctors, nurses, medical staff and all others who are working hard to keep us safe at this time”.

The video also emphasizes the need to pay attention to the advice of health experts when it comes to the necessary precautions to keep people safe, such as washing your hands or engaging in social distancing, and ensuring that the information being passed along regarding the coronavirus is accurate and credible.

The NBA has been on indefinite hiatus since March 12, when Adam Silver announced an immediate suspension of games and team practices after Utah Jazz center, Rudy Gobert, became the first player in the league to test positive for the coronavirus.

Since then, 13 other players from six different teams have also received positive test results, including former Thunder star, and currently Brooklyn Net Kevin Durant, and the Celtics’ Marcus Smart.

On Friday, the NBA made the additional move to close all team practice facilities to both players and staff.