Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio had been in a lot of trade rumors since the offseason began but new head coach Tom Thibodeau does not believe that he will be dealt by the club anytime soon.
The 25-year-old Spaniard had stirred controversy because of his earlier comments that he might look for opportunities to be with contending squads next summer if the Wolves will not be able to make the playoffs in June.
Those remarks have triggered countless rumors that Rubio will be in another team's uniform by the time the new season starts next month. Teams that were linked to him include the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, and Philadelphia 76ers to name a few.
Just recently, Morning News USA reported that the Wolves could trade Rubio and center Nikola Pekovic to the Denver Nuggets for small forward Wilson Chandler "to add more firepower" to Thibodeau's lineup.
The report noted that Rubio and Pekovic are "seemingly odd men out" because of Minnesota's current young core of Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Zach LaVine. The two veterans are also considered as liabilities on offense and speculations have emerged that they could be "disposed" to give the young trio the space they need to reach their potentials.
It continued that Rubio is "perfect for Denver" since the Nuggets' Emmanuel Mudiay could slide to the two-guard position, where he can wreck more havoc, with Rubio manning the point. Meanwhile, Pekovic "could be big help at the center spot, alternating with Jusuf Nurkic".
Meanwhile, Thibodeau virtually denied trade rumors regarding Rubio after he said that the former Barcelona standout would "fit in very well" in his system, according to an interview by the Star Tribune.
"I think he'll fit in very well," the former Chicago Bulls boss said. "He's a good player. He practices hard. He can really pass the ball. Passing and defense are two things that help build your team, brings the best out of people. I think Ricky has the ability to make other people better."
Thibodeau also admitted that Rubio and this year's fifth overall pick, Kris Dunn, can start together in a two-point guard lineup, but that the team will take it one step at a time.
"We're going to get a lot of those questions answered in the preseason as we go forward," Thibodeau said. "You want to go step by step. You don't want to skip over things. I like guys who can play multiple positions, I like different combinations."
"There are times when you play two point guards together. I did that a lot in Chicago, just the speed of the game changes," he added.
