Bob CollinsIs the Ricky Rubio era in Minnesota ending?
YahooSports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBA’s most well-connected writer, reports that the Minnesota Timberwolves are shopping Rubio and Shabazz Muhammad ahead of the NBA trade deadline.
Rubio, who has been playing well lately, has not had a particularly good season and never seemed to live up to the hype he brought to the moribund franchise in 2011, when Target Center would get electrified just by seeing Rubio approach the scorer’s table to enter the game.
Wojnarowski mentions only the Sacramento Kings in trade rumors, suggesting the Timberwolves haven’t been bowled over by any offer. He says the team wants a “bridge” guard in return, who can start in the short term and then be a backup to rookie Kris Dunn.
Rubio has also fallen out of favor with several local sports columnists.
“Once again, Rubio is playing just well enough to please fans of the no-look pass but not well enough to help his don’t-watch-yet franchise,” Star Tribune writer Jim Souhan wrote earlier this month.
