Daily Knicks
Fansided

Report: New York Knicks Interested in Ricky Rubio

By Maxwell Ogden

facebooktwitterreddit

The New York Knicks currently have three point guards on the roster: Jose Calderon, Langston Galloway and Jerian Grant. All three are intriguing players with noteworthy virtues and polarizing flaws.

Phil Jackson is reportedly uncomfortable with that trio making up his team’s point guard position.

Calderon is an all-time shooter and a skilled facilitator, but he’ll turn 34 in September and is a liability on defense. Galloway is a clutch maestro and Grant has plenty of upside, but both lack the experience to rationally inspire a sense of comfort.

According to Gigantes del Basket, the Knicks could have another point guard locked in their crosshairs: Ricky Rubio.

Orazio Cauchi of international basketball juggernaut Sportando summarized the report in english:

"According to Gigantes, the New York Knicks are looking for an upgrade in the PG position and Ricky Rubio is one of their targets. Phil Jackson is not [satisfied] with his current PG’s (Calderon, Jerian Grant and Langston Galloway) and Rubio may be an interesting option for the team.The Spanish point-guard is under contract with Minnesota until 2019 and a trade seems unlikely in this moment but if Rubio will continue to struggle, every scenario could be possible."

That doesn’t exactly sound like an impending deal, but it’s intriguing nonetheless.

Chances are, the union of Rubio and the Knicks is something that wouldn’t happen until months or years down the road. In the near future, Minnesota Timberwolves exploring a trade would likely lead to Jose Calderon being a target—albeit with draft picks and young talent attached.

Calderon’s set to make roughly $15 million over the next two seasons, while Rubio is entering the first season of a four-year, $55 million contract.

If Rubio falters, cap relief could be a factor in Minnesota’s decision-making—no matter how imminent the trade may or may not be. New York’s desire for a true playmaker could lead to the gamble on their end.

Rubio certainly has his flaws, but he also has tantalizing skills.

Rubio is an awful shooter. He converted 35.6 percent from the field and 25.5 percent from 3-point range in 2014-15, and his finishing ability at the rim isn’t much better than his awry jumper.

Outside of scoring, however, Rubio does everything at a borderline elite level.

Rubio dished out 8.8 assists, grabbed 5.7 rebounds and came up with 1.7 steals per game last season. Those numbers weren’t flukes, but instead examples of what Rubio’s unique skill set enables him to do.

The hope would likely be that Rubio could thrive as the table-setter for franchise player Carmelo Anthony.

If New York is able to pull this off, they’d effectively be building around two former Liga ACB stars: Rubio and Kristaps Porzingis. The question is, does Phil Jackson have the international basketball bug?

Sometime in the near future, New York’s local diversity could be matched by the team on the court at Madison Square Garden.

Next: Carmelo Anthony is chasing history as a member of Team USA

More from Daily Knicks

Home/Knicks News