Freeman: Overshadowed
NEW YORK -- The most important thing that happened at the NBA Draft on Thursday night had nothing to do with Blake Griffin, Hasheem Thabeet or even Ricky Rubio.
The most significant development was the following quote, uttered by Rubio's father, Esteban: "Con esta elección, es posible que Ricky juegue un año o dos más en Europa."
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| Ricky Rubio is candid in his post-draft comments. (AP) |
Even someone like me, who can only say beer and bathroom en Español, understands that that means. Spain never looked so good to Rubio after he was selected with the fifth pick Thursday night by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
After the foregone conclusion of Griffin to the Clippers, the intrigue began playing out and the dominoes started tumbling. With the Celtics angling for Memphis' No. 2 pick, the Grizzlies held on to it and picked Thabeet. That was supposed to send Rubio into his sweet spot -- Oklahoma City at No. 3 and Sacramento at No. 4.
Thunder: James Harden.
Kings: Tyreke Evans.
Rubio: SOL.
He certainly didn't mince any words in the post-selection news conference, when he was asked about the cold weather in Minnesota.
"I have to think about that, because I'm just three minutes from [becoming] a Timberwolves player," Rubio said. "So I'm going to talk with my agent about that and we are going to see."
Uh-oh.
"Are you excited to go to Minnesota?" he was asked.
"I'm excited to come to the NBA," he said.
• Clippers make Griffin top pick | Draft Tracker | Grades
So a predictable scenario was playing out, one that eerily followed Rubio's comments Wednesday about needing to be taken in a "top spot" to make the approximately $4 million buyout with his European team, JKV Joventut, palatable. Not inclined to view Minnesota -- and the $5.7 million rookie-scale guarantee over the first two years -- as a "top spot," Rubio apparently would rather go home for a year or two than play for the T-Wolves.
"Now I know where I'm going to go, so I have to talk with the team, what exactly they want about me, and if necessary, I'm going to pay the buyout," Rubio said.
That's fine with David Kahn, Minnesota's new GM, who had the stones to pick Rubio even though he knew it would be problematic. He knew it would be problematic because Rubio was represented by Dan Fegan, who tried to scare the bejesus out of the Milwaukee Bucks when they dared to select Yi Jianlian in 2007. That didn't end well, depending on your perspective. Yi was dealt to the Nets in a package for Richard Jefferson, who was given away to San Antonio this week for expiring contracts.
What tangled webs are woven on draft night ...
But I digress. Back to Esteban, whose quotes only get better, according to the expert translation service I employed for much less than the $24 "Knicks draft caps" they were selling at the Garden. (No Frederic Weis jerseys, though.)
"It is probable that we will remain in Europe one or two years," Rubio's father said. "Everything is open, although the most probable is to continue in Europe for some time. We have to talk with the people in Minnesota ... and we will see what will happen. Because at this hour, we could be in Minnesota or we could be somewhere else."
That was the handiwork of Fegan, who was trying to broker a deal sending Rubio to the Knicks. No such luck. Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni was plenty happy with Jordan Hill at No. 8. Kahn, according to a rival executive, believed that Rubio was by far the best point guard in this draft. He likes Rubio so much, in fact, that he's apparently willing to wait out his return to Europe rather than trade him.
"He might be right," another rival exec said.
Good for him. This also explains why Kahn selected another point guard, Jonny Flynn, with the sixth pick. Insurance.
The pick after Flynn, Golden State's No. 7, was loaded with intrigue -- especially when the Warriors selected Stephen Curry, yet another combo guard. It was widely assumed that Golden State was making the pick for Phoenix, which was engaged in advancing trade talks that would send Amare Stoudemire to the Warriors. But an Eastern Conference executive familiar with the talks said Curry was not in the deal, which cooled late Thursday after the Warriors discussed sending Andris Biedrins, Marco Belinelli and Brandan Wright to the Suns.
One executive said it "likely won't happen," but there's time for it to be revived. Biedrins, a base-year compensation player, can't be traded until July 1. Stoudemire, who has a termination clause after next season, would need a contract extension.
Again, tangled webs ...
What we had on Draft Night 2009 was a good old-fashioned agent controversy, one salary dump completed (Vince Carter to the Magic), and another struggling to get off the ground (Stoudemire). We had high schooler-turned-Italian-bench-warmer, Brandon Jennings, taking his agent's advice and watching the draft from a nearby hotel -- the better to stomach the possible humiliation of sliding to the middle or end of the first round. (Jennings, who was all talk on Wednesday about being a top five or top 10 pick, eventually showed up when he was, in fact, selected 10th by Milwaukee. He got his handshake from David Stern after Phoenix selected Earl Clark -- who wasn't in the same zip code -- with the 14th pick.)
We had the Knicks trading Quentin Richardson to Memphis for Darko Milicic. In other words, Q-Brick for Milicic, who was infamously selected by the Pistons ahead of Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade in 2003.
We had DeJuan Blair and his bad knees falling to the Spurs in the second round.
We had Ricky saying, "No más," to Minnesota. And me saying, "No más" to the 2009 draft.
