New York Knicks Receive: G Ricky Rubio
Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: G Dennis Smith Jr, G Frank Ntilikina, NYK 2022 2nd Round Pick
While this is not a “franchise-altering” trade, it would still be a significant move for the New York Knicks in their push to potentially make the playoffs this season. Over the course of his career, Rubio has been a really solid player but has never really received the recognition he deserves.
A lot of that is because he was drafted 5th overall before Steph Curry in the 2009 NBA Draft and the expectations for him were so high when he first joined the Timberwolves. While it is clear that the Timberwolves made a mistake drafting Rubio over Curry, the Spanish guard has still carved out a role in the NBA and is a very reliable role player.
Rubio is now playing in his 10th season in the NBA and everywhere he has been, he has made an impact. Over the course of his career, Rubio has averaged 11.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 1.9 steals, and has shot 39.1% from the floor. His all-around two-way play could be extremely important for the Knicks, especially given that they currently rank as the best defensive team in the NBA.
Dennis Smith Jr. has had his fair share of struggles over the years and has not started his career the way he had hoped, but he is still 23-years old and can be molded into a really solid role player. Given his athletic abilities, Smith Jr. could be an excellent young guard the Timberwolves could add to their backcourt and mold into a great second-unit player.
The same goes for Ntilikina, another guard in a crowded Knicks backcourt who never really got the chance to prove himself. Given his length, the young french guard is definitely an interesting young player who can definitely be molded into something.
Both Smith Jr. and Ntilikina could wind up carving out roles with the Timberwolves because of their athleticism. The Timberwolves have a lot of young athletes on their team and adding two more could be beneficial for this organization moving forward.
Overall, there are definitely some positives for both teams in this trade scenario, so let’s take a look at why this trade makes sense for both the New York Knicks and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
