Radio silence on Rubio...and other stuff

Well, May 31 -- the last day Ricky Rubio can sign an NBA contract under the current labor agreement -- came and went and the silence was, well, deafening.

David Kahn and anyone over at the Timberwolves isn't talking, and likely won't be until Rubio's Spanish season ends later this month.

If the Wolves have indeed reach a contract agreement with Rubio, it must be submitted to the league office within 48 hours, although there's no indication yet whether the NBA will acknowledge whether or not it received such a contract from the Wolves.

As I wrote for what we call a charticle -- part chart, part article -- in Tuesday's paper, my best bet is that Rubio will arrive in Minnesota under the cover of darkness after his Regal Barcelona season ends for a lavish press conference featuring all sorts of local corporate logos -- Best Buy? Target? -- representing sponsors who've stepped forth basically to pay part of Rubio's $1 million-plus buyout with Barcelona and bring him to the NBA.

If you didn't see it, you can see find the aforementioned charticle here.

Why all the silly spy stuff about whether they've signed him or not?

Well, it's fitting for such a convoluted saga ever since the Wolves picked him on draft night 2009, isn't it?

While we wait...

A couple other items:

* As the schedule stands now -- and pre-draft workouts always are subject to change -- the Wolves have set up a big day on June 16, when Turkish center Enes Kanter is supposed to work out for them in the morning followed by Arizona forward Derrick Williams in the afternoon.

Expect Williams, projected as the No. 2 overall pick, to work out only for the Wolves and lottery winner Cleveland unless it appears certain the Wolves will trade the pick.

(An update: Correcting the original post I made here, the Wolves CAN trade the pick outright because they own another first-round pick this year, but don't expect them to do it. If they do decide to deal the pick, it'll probably come on draft night so they can wait and have teams come to them for Derrick Williams.)

* 2010 second-round pick Paulao Prestes -- a big big man from Brazil -- is expected in town on Wednesday for a five-day visit that will give the Wolves a close look at a prospect they could add to the roster in the next two years. Prestes currently is playing in Spain.

* The Wolves will conduct free-agent workouts on Thursday and Friday. that are expected to bring in the likes of center Steven Hunter and guard Quincy Douby.