The Wolves own the rights to Rubio indefinitely, barring him sitting out a year of any kind of basketball. He’s not going to “get out” of this situation unless he plays ball with David Kahn, who has a complete(ly terrible) backcourt right now. I love the site and read daily, but this is easily one of the crappier posts you’ve ever produced. Stop-n-Pop over at Canis Hoopus had a legitimate, well-reasoned (if biased) argument that you reduced to a nonsensical “jihad.” I’m sorry, Matt, that the Timberwolves will stand in the way of a player you’re clearly not that high on seeing anyway. You should get your boy Corndogg to write a penance post because your blog cred ain’t shit right now.

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1) You’re a slacker

2) Just to clarify (since snark doesn’t come across very well when typed): Miami IS a popular location due to beaches/weather/venezuelan hotties. Detroit is a hole, but players don’t seem to mind it there. Cleveland is also a hole, and that is well documented, but again, players don’t seem to mind it there.

3) You’re absolutely right- Rubio is the “pampered pooch”.

4) Re: “who would want to play in Alaska?” Nobody. It’s horrible up here. Nothing but ice and igloos. Nothing to see here. Move along, move along.

Who would want to play in Alaska? Good thing you don’t have an NBA team there. Miami? Are you serious? Besides Detroit, other “desirous” NBA destinations…have you lived in Cleveland? As for Dallas-Houston-Phoenix, I’ve lived there. You spend as much time running from the heat from April to late-September as you do in Minneapolis November-March running from the cold.

You would have thought Fegan would have learned from his recent experience in dealing with the Milwaukee (another glamorous NBA city) Bucks. I blame him for not educating Ricky and his parents on the NBA. Hint: In order for Ricky to achieve his dream of playing in the NBA he has to play the cards he’s dealt. Ricky has been the pampered pooch in Spain but the NBA and playing against the world’s best players is his dream and destiny. The dream starts in Minneapolis and we’ll turn the heat up for him.

Matt -

Looking at the “volumes” of comments you have received to this article, you best befriend rather than diss Minnesotans. You’re opinion doesn’t mean squat.

Part of me says: “The kid should be able to have a say in where he works and lives.” I mean, I wouldn’t want to live in Minnesota either, and I live in Alaska (which isn’t colder, actually).

But then the voice of reason in my head says “Bullshit. If everybody got to play where they wanted, then Miami would have the greatest basketball team on the planet every year. It’s an honor to play in the NBA, and no matter where you ‘live’, you are going to be traveling most of the time anyway, so what difference does it make?” I mean, this kid isn’t getting paid to soak up the fucking sights and check out the beaches and enjoy the city. He’s getting paid to play basketball- but now he wants to whine because he HAS TO play in Minnesota? Christ, people are happy to play in DETROIT, but this guy doesn’t want to go to Minneapolis?

There are TONS of jobs in this world where you don’t get much of a say in where you are assigned. Foreign service officers. Corporate officers of major companies. Politicians. Priests. Actors. Military men and women. On and on. That’s life, Ricky-boy. Suck it up and don’t be a little douche. In a few years, IF you prove yourself, you’ll be in a better position to demand a trade, have a few more dollars in your pocket, and who knows- if you actually give it a chance instead of whining like a baby- you might actually LIKE Minnesota!

Wow. I mean, this is like a 10-year-old who whines about eating lasagna before he’s even tried it, even though he loves pasta, cheese, and meat. He’s totally convinced that he hates it and he’s NEVER TASTED IT. I know he’s only 18, but, damn it really shows.

Grow up, kid.

Ricky Rubio says “I have a dream–I want to play in the NBA.”

Good job by you, Matt!

Kahn has been very smart so far, and his relationship with Walsh isn’t going to make him hand Rubio over. The Knicks have nothing to offer to the Wolves’ future so it’s useless to try to make those rumors up.

As for Rubio himself, who cares if he comes over this year, or for that matter the next? The Wolves own his rights, and if he waits two years and finally says “My path to the NBA goes through Minnesota,” which is does, he’ll come over. The Wolves aren’t going to be good for the next two seasons, so at least have Rubio when they have a better chance, right?

And if Rubio doesn’t want to come over, he can sit in Spain.

Setting the record straight on what I actually said about Rubio.

Rubio can make decent money overseas, but if he wants the big bucks (endorsements, not just contract money), that happens in the NBA. And if he wants to play in the NBA, he does it for us unless he wants to sit out for a year. I don’t see how that helps him. And Garnett didn’t exactly go broke playing for us.

The Wolves should listen to trade offers, and if they’re good enough and we take one, I’m fine with that. But we have no reason to sell him at below market value. I’d rather have Rubio never play in the NBA than see that happen. And I can wait. Kahn’s leverage is our patience.