Ricky Rubio: Traded to Utah

The Timberwolves have been not-so-quietly shopping Rubio for quite some time,
and Friday’s deal essentially functions as a salary dump, with Minnesota looking
to clear cap space before the start of free agency Saturday morning. The 2018
pick involved in the deal is reportedly that of the Thunder, who sent it to Utah
in a 2015 trade. If the protections on the pick are unchanged, it will be
lottery-protected in 2018. In Rubio, the Jazz get insurance should they lose
George Hill, and they’ll have the Spaniard under contract for two more seasons
at a very reasonable rate of $28.9 million overall. If Hill does, indeed, walk
as a free agent, Rubio would likely step into a role similar to what he held in
Minnesota, though his adjustment to a new environment must be factored in when
considering his fantasy value. Last season, Rubio started 75 games and posted
averages of 11.1 points, 9.1 assists and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 40.2
percent from the field and 30.6 percent from three.