The Cleveland Cavaliers suffered a huge blow when they lost veteran point guard Ricky Rubio to a torn ACL back on December 28th in a game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Rubio was a big part of the team’s surprising success this season and without him in the lineup, they have some huge shoes to fill as the NBA trade deadline approaches.
Rubio was a key cog of their second unit given his veteran leadership, passing ability and defense. Without him, the backcourt’s depth has been decimated as the Cavaliers were already playing without Collin Sexton, who injured his meniscus earlier in the season and will also miss the remainder of the campaign.
Given how well Rubio was playing, it was not surprising that the team was looking into keeping him long-term. Despite playing on an expiring deal, Cleveland had no intentions of trading him. Instead, they were hopeful that he would remain with the team beyond this season.
However, given the current circumstances surrounding the team, that stance may be changing. According to Marc Stein on his Substack, the Cavaliers may now use Rubio’s expiring contract as a way to bring in some help at the point guard position.
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Cleveland made one move already, acquiring Rajon Rondo from the Los Angeles Lakers. However, based on what Stein has shared, they sound like a team that will be looking to make even more moves.
The Cavaliers are said to be still looking for more playmaking even after the acquisition of Rajon Rondo from the Los Angeles Lakers and suddenly have Ricky Rubio’s $17 million expiring contract as a readily available trade centerpiece. The season-ending knee tear Rubio, 31, sustained on Dec. 28 brought a sad and abrupt halt to his Cleveland renaissance.
Could the injury to Rubio re-open the door to the Cleveland Cavaliers discussing trade proposals with the Philadelphia 76ers centered around Ben Simmons? Cleveland was one of the teams that were showing interest in Simmons before the season, as he and Darius Garland showed some interest in teaming up together.
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While acquiring Simmons may ultimately be too rich for Cleveland’s blood, they will certainly be scouring the market for some help in the backcourt. Ricky Rubio’s relatively big expiring contract will make building a trade package easier, as he can help match salary for higher-priced players in trade negotiations.
