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Rubio Coming To Minnesota
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  1. cedricmasonstone
    cedricmasonstone
    Posts: 98

    Posted 06/16/2011 5:06 PM

    The last hurdles for Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio to join the Minnesota

    Timberwolves     have been cleared, according to sources, and he is expected to

    announce his departure for the NBA at a Friday news conference in Spain.



     



     





    [+] EnlargeRicky Rubio

    Ales Fevzer/EB/Getty ImagesDespite Ricky

    Rubio's offensive struggles this season at Barcelona, he's still seen as the

    Timberwolves' point guard of the future.


     




    Rubio had to reach a contract agreement with the Timberwolves and submit it

    to the NBA by May 31 to be eligible to play next season. The Timberwolves

    selected Rubio with the fifth pick of the 2009 draft. The 20-year-old has played

    the last two seasons in Spain, in part because he felt he wasn't physically

    ready for the NBA and in part because the buyout price of his Spanish League

    contract -- $6 million-plus -- was too steep for him to pay out of his own

    pocket.



     




    Rubio, the Timberwolves and his Spanish team, FC Barcelona, agreed to the

    necessary terms to meet the May 31 deadline, sources said. Several outlets

    reported the deadline had been met two weeks ago. The Timberwolves, Barcelona

    and Rubio's representatives have refused to comment.



     




    Rubio's move to the NBA could not happen, however, without chain-of-command

    overseas approval. FC Barcelona had to authorize his release with Spanish League

    officials, who then had to forward their approval to FIBA, the international

    basketball federation. No action could be taken until Rubio's season with FC

    Barcelona was over, so the final approval process did not begin until the team

    completed its league championship run Tuesday night. A letter of approval from

    FIBA, the last step, awaited NBA commissioner David Stern when he arrived at his

    office Thursday morning, a source with knowledge of the process said.



     









    Rubio's Transition to NBA



    Based on his Euroleague performance, Ricky Rubio should be able to help

    Minnesota as a rookie by upgrading the Timberwolves at point guard, writes Kevin

    Pelton. Story

    Insider



     




    The release of drafted international players had not been an issue previously

    because international league play consistently ended well before May 31. The NBA

    and FIBA, a source said, reached an agreement in the last few years that

    supersedes the existing language of the league's collective bargaining agreement

    to get around the timing issue.



     



     




    Rubio has been compared to the late NBA legend Pete Maravich, in part because

    of his ballhandling skills and floor vision and in part because of a physical

    resemblance. He's listed as 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds with a 6-9 wingspan. He will

    turn 21 in October.



     




    Although competition at the point guard position in the NBA is as fierce as

    it has been in years, Rubio is expected to have an immediate impact for a

    Timberwolves team that finished with the worst record (17-65) in the league last

    season, a result that earned Minnesota the second overall pick in next

    Thursday's draft.



     




    Stern must officially give his approval, but a source said, "It's just a

    formality. It's done."



     




    Ric Bucher reports on the NBA for ESPN The Magazine

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  1. TayC
    TayC
    Posts: 1804

    Posted 06/16/2011 6:45 PM

    yeah pistol pete!!!!

    so does this mean rubio doesnt go through the draft?
    he is just going to show up on the roster next season?

    if so thats intense. cant wait to see how he does
    I am a fan of The Blazers ♂, the £-Train, and of course, The ¤ King. ™
  1. mbmurr1
    mbmurr1
    Posts: 530

    Posted 06/17/2011 7:58 AM

    I'd like to see him coming to Portland
    I am a fan of
  1. freddead
    freddead
    Posts: 321

    Posted 06/17/2011 12:40 PM

    he was drafted by the Twolves like 2years ago
    I am a fan of
  1. TayC
    TayC
    Posts: 1804

    Posted 06/17/2011 5:42 PM

    10 says he chokes ...big time....... 







    Make it 20
    I am a fan of The Blazers ♂, the £-Train, and of course, The ¤ King. ™
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