The Minnesota Timberwolves have Kevin Love completely out of the picture and are now solely focused on the current players on the roster. While Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett are locked down for the future, Ricky Rubio and Thaddeus Young have expiring deals that will need to be dealt with before next offseason. The contract of Rubio has been under the spotlight the most ever since the trade of Love, but the Timberwolves remain optimistic that a decision will be made in the near future.
Rubio spent most of the offseason hearing how valuable he was the Timberwolves since the departure of Love. For now, the point guard is essentially the face of the franchise with the forward now playing for the Cavaliers. Rubio wants to see that high praise expressed more in dollar signs than quotes in the paper, something Minnesota has yet to decide whether or not they will give in to or not.
Rubio reportedly wants a max contract. He is approaching restricted free agency next summer and wants the most money that can possibly be given to him. That would come to the tune of five years and the Timberwolves are reportedly only looking to hand out a four-year deal to the point guard. Discussions have stopped and started all offseason, but general manager Milt Newton is confident the two sides will come to an agreement.
"We're going to look at the situation the same way we did with Kevin (Love)," Newton said, via ESPN.com. "We're going to do the best thing for the organization, and if we can get something done sooner, great. If not, we're not necessarily in a rush. Going forward, you want to show good will and trust in a player. So it can kind of go both ways whether you wait or do something now, but it has to be right for both sides."
If a deal is not reached by Oct. 31 then Rubio is definitely going to be a restricted free agent where things could get very messy for Minnesota. The point guard has certainly emerged as one of the best passers in the league while also being a solid defender. He put up 8.6 assists along with 2.3 steals in 2013. The issue could be what the Timberwolves also decide to do with Young. He has a player option for 2015 and if he decides to opt in, money could be an issue with Rubio. The Timberwolves are optimistic, but if the point guard is available, there will be a number of teams ready to give him a max contract if Minnesota is not. The Timberwolves have been linked to Eric Bledsoe in a sign-and-trade deal which could be a foreshadow to Rubio's future.
