The Minnesota Timberwolves have offered their young point guard Ricky Rubio a contract extension that runs for four years worth $48 million according to a report by Sean Deveney of the Sporting News. Rubio though, is not planning to sign the offer as he is seeking a a five year, $85 million max contract deal.
So why should Rubio reject the Wolves offer? Rubio is a gifted passer, a strong rebounder for his position, and is a solid defender. And while his offensive game is very much limited right now, he is still 23 years old and has plenty of time to improve his scoring prowess. Jason Patt of SB Nation also sees Rubios ability to improve as a prime reason why he needs to decline the Wolves offer:
If his scoring efficiency significantly improves, a four-year, $48 million deal would be a complete steal for Minnesota, especially given the fact that the salary cap is expected to make a major jump in the next few years thanks to the enormous new television deal agreed upon Monday.
Rubio, though, is an abysmal shooter. He converted just 38% of his shots from the field and is a career 37 percent shooter. Accepting the four-year deal from Minnesota would be a wise move according to Jon Reid of Bleacher Report. It would guarantee a good amount of money in the next four seasons while Rubio works on his offensive game. If he ends up making significant strides in his scoring prowess, then he can cash in on a much bigger pay day when he becomes a free agent at the age of 27 where he will still be entering his prime.
But given how far apart both sides are right now, there is a small chance that Rubio signs a five-year, max extension before the Oct. 31 deadline. Of course there is always a chance that the two sides can meet together in the middle much like Bledsoe's situation, but if Rubio wont waver on his stance for a max, then he will almost certainly head the path of restricted free agency next summer.
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