NBA Trade Rumors 2014: Will Ricky Rubio Demand Trade if Kevin Love Is Moved?
The Minnesota Timberwolves might lose two stars as Ricky Rubio sounded like he might consider leaving if the team fails to convince Kevin Love to stay.
In an interview with NBA.com, Rubio said that losing Love will be a huge blow to the Timberwolves and could force Minnesota to rebuild again. The 23-year-old point guard said that he is not interested in playing for a rebuilding team.
"I don't think going through a rebuild year is going to help us because we've been improving every year and now we're so close to making the playoffs that it doesn't make sense to rebuild it again. It's not continuing what we were doing," Rubio said.
The Spanish playmaker, who could become a restricted free agent in the summer of 2015, also added that he is planning to talk Love to clarify reports that suggest that the All-Star power forward wants out of Minnesota soon.
"I don't want to convince him if he doesn't want to stay. But I want him to stay, and I'm going to tell him what I think, which is we've been improving every year and he's a great player, he helps us a lot," Rubio said. "I think we need to make the next step. The media says it's pretty settled, but I don't know what he thinks."
Love, who failed to make the playoffs in his first six seasons in the league, will become an unrestricted free agent next summer after turning down a contract extension from the Timberwolves, and even the recent hiring of Flip Saunders as the new coach won't make him change his mind.
Saunders recently took a swipe at Love, insisting that the 25-year-old power forward has no right to be frustrated for failing to play in a post-season game in his first six years in the league.
"Why does any player have a right to be frustrated? You're either part of the problem or part of the solution," Saunders said. "Should the team be frustrated? Yeah, the team can be frustrated. But I don't think any one individual should be frustrated."
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