The Toronto Raptors are a team who has quietly been very active on the trade market with the NBA trade deadline coming up quickly. While there have been quite a few rumors surrounding Kyle Lowry, the Raptors may actually be looking to trade for a new point guard as well. Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio seems to be of interest.
According to a report from Chris Crouse of Forty Eight Minutes, the Raptors are interested in replacing Lowry with Rubio at the point guard position.
The Raptors are making ground in the Eastern Conference, though Masai Ujiri & Co. continue to evaluate several scenarios ahead of the trade deadline. One of which involves Ricky Rubio, as the team would have interest in adding the point guard, sources tell FortyEightMinutes.com.
Rubio would be a very intriguing fit for the Raptors. He would be able to slide in as the true point guard and leave Fred VanVleet playing more of a shooting guard role. That would be the best scenario in this situation.
So far this season with the Timberwolves, Rubio has played in 33 games and started in 18 of them. He has averaged 7.6 points, 6.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. Rubio has shot 37.8 percent from the floor and 30.3 percent from the three-point line.
Those numbers may not look great, but his fit with the Timberwolves have not been great. A change of scenery by joining the Raptors could be exactly what he needs to get things turned around.
In 2019-20 with the Phoenix Suns, Rubio averaged 13 points per game to go along with 8.8 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.4 steals. Those numbers are much closer to what the Raptors would be hoping to receive from the veteran guard.
While there is no guarantee that the Raptors will pull off a trade for Ricky Rubio, this is something to keep an eye on. If they do decide to trade Lowry, they will likely look for someone to replace him that can help them still compete. Rubio could be that kind of addition.
Expect to hear more rumors surrounding the Raptors and Timberwolves as the trade deadline draws closer. Don’t be surprised if these two teams work something out.
