The demand for small forwards this offseason has been tremendous. From Gordon Hayward to Chandler Parsons, contract deals and signings have been insane for the SF's this summer. For the point guards? Not so much. Despite his immense potential, it took Eric Bledsoe almost forever to reach a deal with the Phoenix Suns while Ramon Sessions had to settle for less in Sacramento after the free agency market dried up on him. Now its Ricky Rubio's turn with the Timberwolves.
Ricky Rubio and the Timberwolves have until the October 31 deadline to agree on a new extension deal but both sides are still very far apart in the negotiation table according to Sporting New's Sean Deveney:
Rubio has been after a five-year contract with the Timberwolves, and though he'd like that deal to be a max, there is no doubt Minnesota won't go that high. In fact, while it has been reported that the two sides are far apart on a number, you can get a sense of just how far - league sources told Sporting News that the Timberwolves' best offer thus far has been four years in the range of $48 million.
The exact amount that Rubio and his camp have been seeking for is still unknown until next year's salary cap is announced but it could very much be in the neighborhood of $85 million for five years. Now, the Timberwolves have the money and the ability to offer Rubio the max contract that he wants but there are three possible reasons why they are reluctant to do so.
First is the presence of Andrew Wiggins. A team is only allowed to extend one player on the roster to a five year contract - other players must be on four year deals. And between Rubio and Wiggins, the latter might just be the better option for the max.
Second is the fact that Rubio's limited game is not just worth the max at this time. Kurth Helin of Pro Basketball Talk on Rubio and why he is not worth more than the Wolves $48 million offer:
I like his game more than most but his shooting needs work - not just his inconsistent jumper, also last season 40 percent of his shots came within three feet of the rim but he hit just 49.1 percent of those. He has to learn to finish. He obviously has great court vision, plays with flair and is a good defender, but right now he's just not a max guy.
And lastly, the Wolves will have plenty of options in the point guard position next summer in the free agency market with the likes of Rajon Rondo, Jeremy Lin, Patrick Beverley and Kemba Walker likely available for signing. Monta Ellis could also opt out with his contract with the Mavericks which gives Minnesota another ball handler to look into.
With that being said, it may just be wise for Ricky Rubio to accept the Timberwolves offer.
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