It's sure looks like Ricky Rubio's time in Minnesota is running out. You don't have to love Rubio's game or hate it to come to that conclusion.
It's also clear that the most recent deal to be floated — Rubio to the Pistons for point guard Reggie Jackson — is a terrible idea. The Wolves have plenty of needs, but they also need to find out if rookie Kris Dunn and second-year guard Tyus Jones can handle the vast majority of the point guard minutes if they do, in fact, trade Rubio.
That said, the NBA trade deadline (Feb. 23) is less than a month away, and teams are going to be getting itchier to make deals. As such, here are five potential Rubio trades that actually might make some sense. The most common theme is getting a big man in return, but there are certainly other options. All specific trade proposals passed the test in the Real GM Trade Checker, which looks for salary matches and other obstacles, unless otherwise stated.
• Orlando Magic: What the Wolves could really use is some more size, and the Magic have a nice match with Nikola Vucevic. He's an efficient big man who can rebound and score — and he's only 26 (just like Rubio), so he still has some upside. Orlando has a logjam of bigs and Vucevic has been linked to trade rumors. Rubio would bring a steady hand to the Magic's back court.
• Denver Nuggets: The Nuggets are another team with a glut of bigs — a nice problem to have, except they've tried playing Jusuf Nurkic and Nikola Jokic together and the results were not good. They seem bound to deal one, and it sounds like Nurkic will be the odd man out. He is only 22 and has a reputation for being a stout defensive player. If the Wolves are insistent on getting a "bridge" point guard who can take some pressure off Dunn and Jones, veteran Jameer Nelson (under contract through next season) could be a good piece coming back. Rubio for Nelson and Nurkic, in fact, works money-wise in the trade checker.
• Chicago Bulls: Rajon Rondo has fallen out of favor in Chicago, and the Bulls are reportedly shopping him around. If they are able to find a taker, they could be in the market for a player like Rubio — who has a similar skill-set to Rondo but is four years younger. It could even be an opportunity to rekindle discussions about Jimmy Butler, since the Bulls' quick-fix rebuild hasn't panned out. How about Rubio, Zach LaVine and Shabazz Muhammad for Butler in a blockbuster? Maybe.
• Sacramento Kings: There is a pie-in-the-sky scenario by which the Wolves are able to put together a package to get oft-mentioned trade candidate DeMarcus Cousins — a mercurial big man who nonetheless would be an intriguing fit with the Wolves and is still under contract for next year. That probably would involve more than Rubio and Muhammad. How much more — and whether it's worth it — is a good question. There are other options with the Kings, too, who could use a point guard upgrade.
• Brooklyn Nets: Everybody else in the NBA has at least 15 wins. The Nets have nine. Their best player (by far) is veteran center Brook Lopez, who is just 28 despite being in his ninth NBA season. He's a 20-point scorer who can block shots (No. 13 in the NBA this season) and has added a three-pointer to his arsenal this year. That skills-set might work with the Wolves, and Rubio's skill-set might work with the point guard-starved Nets.