Ricky Rubio

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Minneapolis-St. Paul – Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas today announced the team has acquired guard Ricky Rubio and the draft rights to Jaden McDaniels (28th overall) from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for forward James Johnson and the draft rights to Aleksej Pokuševski (17th overall) and Minnesota’s 2024 Second Round Pick. The Timberwolves are also acquiring the draft rights to Leandro Bolmaro (23rd overall) from the New York Knicks in exchange for the draft rights to Mathias Lessort (50th overall in the 2017 NBA Draft) and the Detroit Pistons’ 2023 Second Round Pick.

“Ricky is a great fit to what we are building here in Minneapolis and we are thrilled to welcome him back to the Timberwolves organization,” said Rosas. “He will be a solid addition to our core in All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns, All-Star guard D’Angelo Russell and First Overall Pick Anthony Edwards. Ricky is an elite ball handler and someone who will boost our defense and bring a veteran presence to our team.”

Originally drafted by the Timberwolves with the fifth overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft, Rubio played in 353 games over six seasons with Minnesota averaging 10.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game. He ranks among the top-10 in numerous franchise records including ranking second in total assists (2991), second in total steals (747) and 10th in games played (353). Rubio holds the record for the most assists in a single game in Timberwolves history after dishing out 19 dimes against the Washington Wizards on Mar. 13, 2017. The 6-3 guard played in 65 games for the Phoenix Suns last season, averaging 13.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, his most since averaging 5.7 rebounds in 2014-15, and 8.8 assists in 31.0 minutes per game.

“Ricky is a needed piece when it comes to being a culture builder, a team-first player and the impact he has on and off the court,” said Timberwolves Head Coach Ryan Saunders. "I’m thrilled to welcome him back to Minneapolis."

The El Masnou, Spain native began his national team career on Spain’s Under-16 team in 2005, winning a bronze medal at the 2005 FIBA Europe U16 Championships. Rubio was named MVP of the 2006 FIBA Europe U16 Championships after leading Spain to the gold medal where he averaged 22.3 points, 12.8 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 6.5 steals per game during the tournament, including two triple-doubles and a quadruple-double (posted 51 points, 24 rebounds, 12 assists and 7 steals in the championship game against Russia). Rubio was named to the Spanish team for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where at age 17 he became the youngest ever to participate in the gold-medal game.

Bolmaro, a 6-6 forward, played his first season with FC Barcelona’s primary team for the 2019-20 season. He appeared in 13 games (two starts) across the club’s ACB and EuroLeague schedule. The Las Varillas, Argentina native averaged 4.4 points and 0.9 steals in 12.9 minutes in seven games in Spain’s top pro league. Bolmaro joined FC Barcelona’s “B” team for the second consecutive season and averaged 14.6 points, 3.6 assists and 1.8 steals in 26.8 minutes in nine games in Spain’s third division, LEB Silver. The 20-year-old joined FC Barcelona’s “B” team in 2018-19, averaging 10.4 points in 33 games in Spain’s second division, LEB Gold.

McDaniels, a 6-9 forward joins the Timberwolves after spending one season at the University of Washington where he averaged 13.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 blocks. He was the only player in any of the major conferences to average at least 1.4 blocks and 1.4 three-pointers made per game in 2019-20. The Federal Way, Washington native is the younger brother of Charlotte Hornets forward Jalen McDaniels.

Johnson was originally acquired by the Wolves in a three-team deal from the Miami Heat on Feb. 6, averaged 12.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game in 14 games with Minnesota.

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Minnesota Timberwolves Acquire Ricky Rubio And Draft Rights To Jaden McDaniels From Oklahoma City And Draft Rights To Leandro Bolmaro From New York

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In October, it will be five years since Phil “Flip” Saunders died from complications with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

It’s easy to get caught up in the daily demands of the NBA, and when we do, we often forget to reflect on just what Flip meant to his Minnesota Timberwolves franchise.

We will receive a reminder of Flip’s impact on Minnesota basketball on Sunday, April 5, when Fox Sports North re-airs the Wolves’ Oct. 28, 2015, game against the Los Angeles Lakers at 6 p.m. CT. The 112-111 Wolves win was their 2015 season opener and the team’s first game after Flip’s death.

Whether you were directly affiliated with the team at the time or not, the week of Flip’s death was hard on everyone. That, of course, is a testament to Flip’s legacy.

You can’t measure or compare grief, but the pain felt by Flip’s players and colleagues was tangible during what should have been a joyous lead-up to their upcoming season.

The start of the 2015-16 season was supposed to be centered on No. 1 draft pick Karl-Anthony Towns' NBA debut, Kevin Garnett’s last stand of his 21-year career and Ricky Rubio’s return from his left ankle surgery.

Instead, the season opener came just three days after Flip’s passing.

How was the franchise supposed to focus on anything other than the death of the man who had been its glue for so many years?

“When something like that happens to someone so special to all of us, there’s no blueprint to know what’s right and what’s wrong,” Towns said the morning of his NBA debut. “It’s just something you have to deal with individually. But as a team, we’re doing a great job of supporting each other tremendously and making sure we all have each other’s backs.

“The vision that we have for ourselves is what he had. He instilled in us that we can be a special team if we just come together and do something for one common goal.”

With Flip’s vision in mind, the Wolves played for each other. They played for Flip.

The season opener was in Los Angeles, but the Wolves and Lakers still had something special planned for the man who not only impacted his own team but who also shaped the lives of so many of his NBA peers.

The Wolves took the court at Staples Center wearing gray warmup shirts that read “WE” with “Flip” over the heart. Flip and former general manager Milt Newton had planned to use “We” as the season mantra to enforce the importance of playing for each other rather than trying to rack up individual stats and accomplishments.

“He had these signs made up last year that on one side it was ‘WE’ and if you turned it upside down it was ‘ME,’” interim head coach Sam Mitchell said at the Oct. 28 morning shootaround. “We talk to our players all the time. This is a ‘We’ game. You win together, and you fail as one. It’s not about you. I remind them every day that it’s about your teammates; it’s not about you. If you take care of each other, then the person you’re going to end up taking care of is you.”

The Lakers wore gray and gold T-shirts that read “FLIP” above an MPLS Lakers logo. Sadly, those warmups were brought up a little over two months ago when Ryan Saunders was asked to remark on the sudden passing of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and the seven others involved in the tragic Jan. 26 helicopter crash.

“I remember just seeing (Bryant) at the free-throw line during the National Anthem wearing a ‘FLIP’ shirt and him paying tribute,” Ryan said the day after Bryant’s passing.

The teams honored Flip’s life with a moment of silence then were tasked with finding the strength to mask their emotions and just play basketball.

When Fox Sports North analyst Marney Gellner asked Rubio whether or not he wanted Flip’s passing to be something that was on his mind during the game at the morning’s shootaround, Rubio said, “I hope it’s something that doesn’t affect.

“Of course we’re going to miss him, and I think he’s going to give us the strength to keep pushing through tough moments.”

But it’s safe to say Flip probably had some influence on the way Rubio played that night.

Rubio played lights out that night, providing his team with quick offense right from the get-go and stepping up as the leader the young team needed during one of the saddest days in Timberwolves history.

Rubio finished with a game-high 28 points and 14 assists — which were career-highs at the time — and just one turnover.

“It’s been a tough week,” Rubio said after the game. “It’s hard to explain. Everybody goes through a lot of pain, but we came here to fight like he would have said to us, ‘Compete. Go out there and try to win a game.’”

Kevin Martin added 23 points off the bench and was 11-for-12 from the free-throw line, which was crucial in the Wolves’ comeback from a 16-point deficit late in the third quarter.

“Nobody except for Ricky really played well tonight, but we just grinded,” Martin said in an interview with Alan Horton after his team’s win. “This was an emotional win for us, and you know who we did it for. We did it for Flip and the Saunders family.”

Other leaders were quieter throughout the night. Kevin Garnett knew Flip for 19 years, which was half of his lifetime at the time of his coach’s death. He played only 13 minutes and recorded four points and seven rebounds (quite the KG stat line) in his first game as a Timberwolf without Flip.

Garnett didn’t say much (if anything) to the media that week. He was out of the locker room before reporters had a chance to ask players questions after their 112-111 comeback win over the Lakers and can’t be found in any of the player testimonial videos the Wolves made to commemorate their late coach.

Garnett, who never seemed at a loss for words, couldn’t articulate what the death of the man whom he’ll be next to on the Timberwolves’ Mount Rushmore meant to him. Instead, he simply shared a photo of him sitting next to Flip’s parking spot. Nearly five years later and that photo has the power to break your heart all over again.

Again, as Towns said, there was no blueprint for grieving back then — there still isn’t almost five years later and never will be.

Those five years seem to pass by like nothing when you’re outside of the Saunders family and get caught up in wins, losses, stats, trades, you name it. But the five years also seem to feel like no time at all when you consider how ingrained Flip’s legacy is in the team that his son is now leading.

We see Flip in the way Ryan treats every Timberwolves and Lynx and Target Center staff member with equal amounts of respect and dignity.

We see Flip in Ryan’s passion for the game and his in-game ticks that require a double-take because of how much they mirror those of his father.

We see Flip in the way Gersson Rosas, Ryan and Towns have stressed the importance of family and “WE” throughout the 2019-20 season.

As Rubio said, “Even though he’s gone, he will stay with us forever.”

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For Flip: FSN To Re-Air First Wolves Game After Flip Saunders' Passing

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We all know fans across the NBA are preparing for a season full of dunks from the Timberwolves. Chances are we'll hear plenty of Dave Benz and Alan Horton yelling "Rubio to LaVine/Wiggins/Young/Bennett" throughout the 2014-15 NBA season.

It appears as if the folks at NBA 2K15 are excited for some alley-oops as well from this young Timberwolves squad. In the recent trailer, Ricky Rubio is shown throwing alley-oops to both Zach LaVine and Andrew Wiggins. If you're a big gamer, this game is a must for you. I've jumped on the train two years ago and I think 2K is the best value for a basketball game.

Before I start reviewing the game, check out the trailer here. Rubio is first shown at the 1:33 mark:

The game is released on Oct. 7. Props to GameSpot for the trailer.

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Rubio, LaVine and Wiggins in NBA 2K15 Trailer

It was supposed to be Spain vs. the United States of America in the FIBA World Cup Championship.

Spain would be playing on its home court and it was supposed to be a battle for the ages.

What was supposed to happen won’t happen anymore as Spain was knocked out of the tournament after falling to France 65-52 on Wednesday afternoon.

For Timberwolves fans, that means point guard Ricky Rubio won’t be playing any more international games before the 2014-15 NBA season. In the loss, Rubio finished with four points, one assist, two rebounds and a game-high three steals. Like he has throughout his career, though, Rubio struggled from the field. He shot just 1-of-7 from the field.

He wasn’t the only player from Spain who struggled shooting the ball. Grizzly center Marc Gasol and Thunder forward Serge Ibaka shot a combined 2-of-14 from the field.

Wolves fans might have recognized a player on the France national team. Forward Mickael Gelabale played 36 games for the Wolves during the 2012-13 season. As a starter for France on Wednesday, he finished with nine points and three rebounds.

Rubio finished the tournament averaging 5.4 points, 5.1 assists (3rd in tournament), 4.4 rebounds and 3.6 steals (1st) per game.  He shot just 38.5 percent (10-26) from the field.

France will advance to the quarterfinals and play Serbia on Friday.

The United States is scheduled to play Lithuania at 2 p.m. CST on Thursday for a spot in the championship.

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Rubio, Spain Eliminated By France

The  Wolves started with three players participating in the 2014 FIBA World Cup. After the weekend, they are down to just one.

J.J. Barea (Puerto Rico), Gorgui Dieng (Senegal) and Ricky Rubio (Spain) all played in the World Cup, but Barea’s squad failed to advance to the Round of 16. On Saturday, Dieng’s Senegal club matched up against Rubio and Spain in the first knockout round.

As expected, Spain came away with an 89-56 win over Senegal. Rubio had a great all-around game, finishing with seven points, six assists, five rebounds, five steals and a block. He shot 2-of-4 from the field and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line.

Here’s one of Rubio’s steals from the game:

This is something we’ve seen all tournament, as Rubio is averaging 3.7 steals per game, ranking first among all players. He’s also leading the tournament with 5.8 assists per game to go with 5.7 points and 4.8 rebounds.

Spain has advanced to the quarterfinals and will play France on Wednesday at 3 p.m. The game will air on ESPN2, WatchESPN and NBA-TV.

Dieng had an off game, finishing with six points, seven rebounds, two assists and a steal. He shot just 1-of-9 from the field, which is by far his worst mark of the tournament. For Dieng to lead Senegal this far, though, is something that was a bit of a surprise in the first place. His play turned some heads as well. The center finished the tournament averaging 16 points (12th in tournament) and 10.7 rebounds (3rd) over six games.

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Rubio, Spain Take Down Senegal To Advance To Quarterfinals

The Minnesota Timberwolves have three players on their roster (Ricky Rubio, J.J. Barea and Gorgui Dieng) playing in the FIBA World Cup. As the tournament moves along, we’ll provide you with updates on how the players and their respective teams do. Today, we'll recap Thursday’s action.

Senegal Loses; Still Advances To Round Of 16

Dieng’s squad played early on Thursday morning and fell 81-79 to Philippines. Dieng played a game-high 44 minutes and had 13 points to go with a game-high 14 rebounds. He added five assists, four steals and three blocks. He led the team with an efficiency mark of 26.

In five games, Dieng is averaging 18 points (8th overall) to go with 11.4 rebounds (2nd). Pretty impressive stuff.

Dieng will matchup against Spain in the Round of 16 on Saturday.

Puerto Rico fell 103-82 to Croatia on Thursday, but Puerto Rico star J.J. Barea had a nice game. The guard finished with 20 points, one assist and one steal. He shot 6-of-13 from the field, 5-of-9 from the 3-point line and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line.

Puerto Rico did not advance to the Round of 16. Barea finished the tournament averaging 22 points (1st overall), 3.2 assist (23rd overall) and 3.2 rebounds in five games.

Point guard Ricky Rubio had a very nice all-around game on Thursday as Spain defeated Serbia 89-73. Rubio finished with 12 points, shooting 3-of-5 from the field and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. He had a team-high six assists and seven steals to go with four rebounds. He did commit seven turnovers, however.

The FIBA website had plenty of highlights from Rubio’s game.

You can check it all out here. Our favorite is at the 0:42 mark. Classic Ricky.  Steals for days.

Rubio is averaging 5.4 points, 5.8 assists (1st overall), 4.8 rebounds and 3.4 steals (1st overall) in five games. His Spanish club will face off against Dieng and Senegal on Saturday. If there is a Rubio to Dieng alley-oop, someone made a mistake.

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Wolves At FIBA World Cup: Thursday Wrap-Up

The Minnesota Timberwolves have three players on their roster (Ricky Rubio, J.J. Barea and Gorgui Dieng) playing in the FIBA World Cup. As the tournament moves along, we’ll provide you with updates on how the players and their respective teams do. Today, we'll recap Wednesday’s action.

After a hot start to the FIBA Tournament, center Gorgui Dieng cooled off a bit as Senegal fell to Argentina 81-46 on Wednesday. Dieng finished with 11 points and eight rebounds, both marks led the team. He did commit five turnovers, though. He finished shooting 4-of-12 from the field and 3-of-3 from the free-throw line.

He added this block which led to two points for Senegal. He won the "Block of the Game". We assume he'll be getting his trophy soon.

Dieng’s squad played again early on Thursday morning and fell 81-79 to Philippines. Dieng played a game-high 44 minutes and had 13 points to go with a game-high 14 rebounds. He added five assists, four steals and three blocks. He led the team with an efficiency mark of 26.

In five games, Dieng is averaging 18 points (8th overall) to go with 11.4 rebounds (2nd).

Barea Has Big Fourth Quarter To Lead Puerto Rico

Guard JJ. Barea had 10 points in the final four minutes to lead Puerto Rico to a 77-73 win over Philippines. Barea finished with a game-high 30 points to go with five rebounds, two assists and a steal. He shot 8-of-15 from the field, 3-of-7 from the 3-point line and 11-of-12 from the free-throw line.

In four games in the tournament, Barea is averaging 22.5 points (2nd) and 3.8 asissts (18th) per game. Puerto Rico will next play today against Croatia.

Spain remains undefeated after defeating France 88-64 on Wednesday.

Guard Ricky Rubio played 17 points and finished with four points, five assists, four rebounds and a team-high three steals. He shot 2-of-4 from the field.

Rubio is now averaging 3.8 points, 5.8 assists (2nd), 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 steals (2nd) per game.

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Wolves At FIBA World Cup: Wednesday Wrap-Up

The Minnesota Timberwolves have three players on their roster (Ricky Rubio, J.J. Barea and Gorgui Dieng) playing in the FIBA World Cup. As the tournament moves along, we’ll provide you with updates on how the players and their respective teams do. Today, we'll recap Monday’s action.

Gorgui Dieng has continued to stay hot, and in related news, so has Senegal. Senegal won its second straight game after defeating Croatia 77-75 on Monday. Dieng led the squad with 27 points to go with eight rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal. He shot 8-of-14 from the field and an impressive 11-of-12 from the free-throw line.

And he made this SICK step-back shot. The big man has some touch, folks.

The Minnesota Timberwolves currently have three players on their roster (Ricky Rubio, J.J. Barea and Gorgui Dieng) playing in the FIBA World Cup. As the tournament moves along, we’ll provide you with updates on how the players and their respective teams do. Today, we'll recap Monday’s action.

Dieng is averaging 22 points and 11.7 rebounds per game in three contests. Both marks rank second among players in the tournament. Senegal next plays Argentina on Wednesday.Spain Dominates
Spain, a team predicted to advance to the Gold Medal game with the USA, continued to dominate yesterday. It took down Brazil 82-63. Point guard Ricky Rubio played 22 minutes and finished with two points, a team-high six assists, two rebounds and a steal. He was 0-of-3 from the field and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line. In three games, Rubio is averaging 3.7 points, six assists (3rd) and 5.3 rebounds per game. Rubio and Spain next play France on Wednesday.Barea Gets Buckets
J.J. Barea’s Puerto Rico squad fell to Greece 90-79 on Monday, but Barea had himself a pretty decent game. Barea had 21 points, a team-high five assists to go with four rebounds. He shot 6-of-15 from the field – not overly impressive. He made up for that going 4-of-9 from the 3-point line and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line.
He also made this nice pass. Was it the game’s best assist? I’m not sure – but that coach seems to think so.

In three games, Barea is averaging 20 points (6th), 4.3 assists (13th) and 3.7 rebounds per game. Puerto Rico next plays the Philippines on Wednesday.

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Wolves At FIBA World Cup: Monday Wrap-Up

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