12-year veteran guard Ricky Rubio has today retired from NBA basketball after announcing a break last August for mental health reasons. Golden State were dealt another untimely blow as a key rotational piece is sidelined for a few weeks, while top draft pick Victor Wembanyama is unhappy with his minutes restriction in San Antonio as the struggling Spurs chug along. Read more below.
Rubio retires from NBA play at 33
12-year veteran point guard Ricky Rubio announced his retirement from the NBA on social media, two hours after ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirmed the Spaniard had reached an agreement on a contract buyout with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The 33-year-old, who played for four teams across both conferences, began discussing a buyout last month – having not played this season after announcing in August he needed to pause his career for mental health reasons.
He’s remained in his native Spain since then and there was little expectation he’d plan on making a return Stateside. After emerging as a teenage star in Spain, he was selected by Minnesota with the fifth pick during the 2009 draft, averaging 10.8 points, 7.4 assists and 4.1 rebounds in 698 total regular season games.
He was acquired by Cleveland in the summer of 2021, before a torn ACL ended his season prematurely and was sent to Indiana in a salary-matching move as part of the Caris LeVert trade. He re-signed with the Cavaliers the season after, but was noticeably slower and still feeling the impacts of an injury few ever fully recover from.
Payton out for ‘several weeks’ after hamstring injury
In just his second game back from a right calf strain which sidelined him for 13 games, Warriors guard Gary Payton II departed their win over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday with a strained left hamstring in the third quarter.
As he was defending Magic guard Cole Anthony, he fell awkwardly while trying to avoid a screen set by 2022’s top draft pick Paolo Banchero.
Head coach Steve Kerr said: “I feel bad for him, more than anything – for us too, but mainly for him… makes such a big impact for us, so fingers crossed he’s not out for too long.”
Lauded as their strongest perimeter defender and a key rotational piece on the wing, the ball club have a +5.3 net rating in Payton’s 261 minutes this season, compared to a -0.5 mark when he hasn’t featured.
Chris Paul and Klay Thompson both echoed Kerr’s sentiments, stressing they’ll miss his presence and how much of a big player he is for them.
Wembanyama unhappy over minutes restriction
Spurs’ prodigious rookie and top draft pick Victor Wembanyama has grown increasingly frustrated by the minutes restriction he’s been forced to comply with, since injuring his right ankle in a freak accident during warm-ups last month – limited to 24 minutes per night in the five games he’s played since then.
Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required) covered this development and as he explained, the team imposed the existing limit concerned Wembanyama may risk further damage if he plays too much too soon.
“I just talk to the coach and I say, ‘Yeah, I played 25 minutes already. What is two more?’ Looking back, I understand their point of view but at the moment it is hard and frustrating.”
Head coach Gregg Popovich suggested when asked that the big man’s ankle will need to be examined again before they make a decision about removing it.
“In a certain amount of time, we will take more pictures and that will determine whether the minutes thing changes or not. It is the same (number of minutes) every night. I think we were a minute off tonight – 24 is the deal.”
Other tidbits: Powell’s Clippers role and Olynyk interest
Whisper it quietly, but the Los Angeles Clippers (21-12) are healthier this year than they have been over recent seasons and optimistic about their chances this term.
A direct consequence is Norman Powell averaging just 25.6 minutes per game off the bench, his lowest mark since 2018-19 (18.8) while still with the Toronto Raptors.
The veteran wing, 30, is willing to sacrifice some playing time and accept a reduced role if it makes sense for the team collectively, per LA Times’ Andrew Greif.
He said: “This year with the way the team is constructed and moves that we made, I’ve been taking a step back and not being so upset that my role isn’t going to be where I would like, or want it to be, or how I view myself, accepting how the team is built, looking for and what we have to do to win.”
In a mailbag answering questions, KSL Sports’ Ben Anderson declared big man Kelly Olynyk has had the most “robust” trade market so far of the Utah Jazz players presumably available, given his skillset and expiring $12.1m contract appeal to a wide range of interested suitors.
The 11-year veteran is averaging 8.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and a career-high 4.6 assists in 21.6 MPG for an unpredictable Jazz side packed with assets that could still be traded over the course of the next month. We’ll have to wait and see.
Elsewhere…
- The Athletic’s Shams Charania suggested the New York Knicks will “always” have an interest in tracking the future of Minnesota Timberwolves star big man Karl-Anthony Towns, whose former agent is Leon Rose – their current president of basketball operations.
- Minnesota (24-9) lead the Western Conference at the time of writing, so there’s no incentive for them to make another big trade right now.
- Even having traded away RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and the Pistons’ 2024 second-round draft pick, New York feel they have the “requisite remaining assets” to land a star player, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv.
- ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski says the Atlanta Hawks are “absolutely open for business”, with the ball club’s general manager Landry Fields reportedly determined to make changes before the Feb. 8 deadline.
- In that same vein… everyone besides star guard Trae Young and breakout forward Jalen Johnson is on the table, per Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer.
- Ben Simmons’ recovery is progressing well after a nerve impingement in his lower back, according to the New York Post’s Brian Lewis.
- After being cleared to play 2-on-2 action this coming week, the three-time All-Star will then ramp up before possibly being ready to return in the coming weeks, having not featured since November 6.
Picture source: Getty Images, quote sources hyperlinked
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