<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);   ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-news-cleveland-makes-ricky-rubio-contract-move-to-help-flexibility');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs make Ricky Rubio contract move to help flexibility');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Cavs-Koby-Altman-Ricky-Rubio.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavs make Ricky Rubio contract move to help flexibility</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-03T10:00:01-07:00">September 3rd, 10:00am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-03T10:00:01-07:00">September 3rd, 10:00am</time><address><a>Sam DiGiovanni</a>Sam DiGiovanni started at ClutchPoints and Cavs Nation as an Associate Editor in 2021 and became CP's Philadelphia 76ers beat reporter ahead of the 2022-23 season. He graduated from Marist College in May of 2022 and has written for TheKnicksWall.com and CenterFieldMarist.com in the past.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Even as the Isaac Okoro situation looms, the Cleveland Cavaliers have made most of their major moves in the 2024 offseason. Following the <a href="https://cavsnation.com/jarrett-allens-91-million-extension-has-cavs-fans-buzzing">massive contract extensions</a> the Cavs agreed to with their star players, they made a move to create some extra flexibility using the contract of Ricky Rubio.</p><p>The Cavs waived Rubio in January and the veteran point guard promptly retired from the NBA, playing his final two seasons in the league in Cleveland. But he still has money on the books. The team wasn’t in danger of dipping into the second apron but it clearly wanted some more wiggle room.</p><p>According to Bobby Marks of ESPN, the Cavs are stretching the rest of Rubio’s money over three seasons, lowering his cap hit to well under $500,000 per season. This helps them open up more room below the luxury tax line, though it will add some more money in future years.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Cleveland stretched the $1.27M owed to Ricky Rubio this season over the next 3 seasons.</p><p>The $424,672 cap hit this season gives Cleveland more flexibility below the luxury tax. </p><p>Under the 2023 CBA, Cleveland was allowed to stretch his current cap hit prior to 8/31.  </p><p>Rubio was…</p><p>— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) <a href="https://twitter.com/BobbyMarks42/status/1830990215072108933?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 3, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Cavs stretch Ricky Rubio contract after busy offseason </b></h2><p>Rubio played just 67 games across his two seasons with the Cavs but provided steady guard play while Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen came into their own. Donovan Mitchell joining the scene catapulted them back into the playoffs but those years of building up to something were made easier by Rubio, who averaged 9.2 points and 5.1 assists per game as a key backup.</p><p>The Cavs’ payroll now stands <a href="https://www.capsheets.com/cleveland-cavaliers-cap-sheet/" rel="noopener">at $159 million</a>, according to capsheets.com. They have plenty of space to go before getting hit with penalties. As they potentially need to make big moves down the line to fortify their core, staying out of the luxury tax will be very helpful. Cleveland still has to fortify its wing rotation and keep money open for future extensions for Mitchell, who has a player option in the final season of his new deal.</p><p>After winning their first playoff series since 2018, the Cavs are looking to <a href="https://cavsnation.com/cavs-news-cavs-tied-most-back-to-backs-2024-25-nba-schedule" rel="noopener">contend in the Eastern Conference</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs make Ricky Rubio contract move to help flexibility

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-ricky-rubio-finds-new-home-after-nba-retirement');   ga('set', 'title', 'Ricky Rubio finds new home after Cavs exit, NBA retirement');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Ricky-Rubio-finds-new-home-after-Cavs-exit-NBA-retirement.jpg"></figure><h1>Ricky Rubio finds new home after Cavs exit, NBA retirement</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-07-22T11:56:28-07:00">July 22nd, 11:56am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-07-22T11:56:28-07:00">July 22nd, 11:56am</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. He can also be found three to five times weekly on Locked On Cavs, a part of the Locked On Podcast Network.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Former Cleveland Cavaliers <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-donovan-mitchell-celebrate-ricky-rubios-unique-spirit-after-nba-retirement">veteran point guard Ricky Rubio</a>‘s basketball journey is about to come full circle. Rubio <a href="https://www.eurohoops.net/en/eurocup/1698652/ricky-rubio-reportedly-agrees-on-joventut-return/" rel="noopener">will be signing</a> with Joventut Badalona, the Spanish professional basketball club based in Badalona, Catalonia, Spain, where his professional basketball career began, per Eurohoops. Rubio started his professional career with Joventut in 2005 and spent his first four years with Badalona before moving on to higher-level clubs.</p><p>The path to this point in his basketball journey has been arduous for Rubio. Right before the Cavs began last season, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-executive-koby-altman-drops-ricky-rubio-update-after-media-day-absence">Rubio announced</a> he was stepping away from basketball to prioritize his mental well-being. This decision led to Rubio missing the FIBA World Cup with the Spanish National Team, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/fiba-world-cup-news-dennis-schroder-mvp-welcome-germany-historic-win">which Germany won</a>. But, this decision had more lasting effects than some had hoped, with the Cavs eventually <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-ricky-rubio-contract-buyout-mental-health-absence">buying out Rubio’s contract</a> and, subsequently, the star guard retiring from the NBA for good.</p><h2>What brought Ricky Rubio back to basketball?</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Rubio-Attempts-Layup.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>But when <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-ricky-rubio-reveals-why-left-cleveland-joins-fc-barcelona">Rubio eventually returned</a> to basketball, signing with FC Barcelona, he shared how difficult the challenges were for him mentally and emotionally regarding his love of the game.</p><p>“I developed a chronic stress, something similar to an anxiety disorder,” Rubio said. “The only way to come back was to understand why I got to this point. I developed mechanisms that had led me to play at a high level but which were not sustainable. There is another way. Rome is reached by many paths.”</p><p>The floor general also emphasized how his identity as a player clashed with who he is as a person, giving him intense imposter syndrome.</p><p>“The player ate the person. I didn’t know who I was. It was a difficult moment for me. I had fear. You are able to handle your fears and play down them. Life is full of greys. But I have saved myself, and now I am at ease. I am proud of myself and give basketball a new chance,” Rubio added.</p><p>Rubio was a spark plug for Cleveland when healthy, giving the Cavs a consistent backup behind Darius Garland. He played a key part in the team’s transition from a hopeless rebuild to a hopeful contender. Unfortunately, injuries took their toll on Rubio and his game, and he became a liability for Cleveland against the New York Knicks during the 2023 NBA Playoffs.</p><p>Those same injuries also took a toll on Rubio mentally, which eventually led to his decision to retire from the NBA and remain overseas in his home country of Spain. But with Rubio finding his way back to the court, giving basketball another chance, it seems he’s rediscovered his love for the game. Everything will come full circle as he continues his journey with the club where his professional career began.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ricky Rubio finds new home after Cavs exit, NBA retirement

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-news-ricky-rubio-reveals-why-left-cleveland-joins-fc-barcelona');   ga('set', 'title', 'Ricky Rubio reveals why he left Cavs as he joins FC Barcelona');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/cavs-news-ricky-rubio-reveals-why-he-left-cleveland-as-he-joins-fc-barcelona.webp"></figure><h1>Ricky Rubio reveals why he left Cavs as he joins FC Barcelona</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-02-26T17:15:39-08:00">February 26th, 5:15pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-02-26T17:15:39-08:00">February 26th, 5:15pm</time><address><a>Brian Buyawe</a>Brian Buyawe is a sports aficionado with a passion for basketball, football and Formula One. His hobbies include running, reading and playing in recreational leagues. Back when he was a kid, Brian stumbled upon an old Larry Bird documentary among his family's collection of movies, which made him a lifelong Celtics fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Ricky Rubio recently made a return to professional basketball a month after announcing his retirement from the NBA. The point guard signed a short-term contract with Euroleague team FC Barcelona, which lasts until the end of the season.</p><p>Last year, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-ricky-rubio-contract-buyout-mental-health-absence" rel="noopener">Rubio took a leave</a> from the Cleveland Cavaliers, citing mental health reasons as the cause. Being sidelined for months, the Spaniard eventually parted ways with the team via a contract buyout following his retirement.</p><p>Now, as he prepares for a fresh start back in Europe, Rubio opened up on <a href="https://m.basketnews.com/news-202415-ricky-rubio-reveals-reasons-why-he-stopped-his-basketball-career.html" rel="noopener">the mental health obstacles</a> that plagued him prior to stepping away from the game.</p><p>“I developed a chronic stress, something similar to an anxiety disorder,” Rubio said, per m.basketnews.com. “The only way to come back was to understand why I got to this point. I developed mechanisms that had led me to play at a high level but which were not sustainable. There is another way. Rome is reached by many paths.”</p><p>The floor general also emphasized how his identity as a player clashed with who he is as a person.</p><p>“The player ate the person. I didn’t know who I was. It was a difficult moment for me. I had fear. You are able to handle your fears and play down them. Life is full of greys. But I have saved myself, and now I am at ease. I am proud of myself, and I give basketball a new chance,” Rubio added.</p><p>Considering how the point guard played 17.2 minutes a game during his final season <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-donovan-mitchell-celebrate-ricky-rubios-unique-spirit-after-nba-retirement" rel="noopener">with the Cavs</a>, he surely has some gas left in the tank. And looking at what he’s had to deal with, seeing Ricky Rubio back on the floor is a smile-inducing sight for many fans.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ricky Rubio reveals why he left Cavs as he joins FC Barcelona

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);   ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-news-ricky-rubio-return-basketball-cleveland-exit-please-fans');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs: Ricky Rubio’s return to basketball after Cleveland exit will please fans');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Cavs_news_Ricky_Rubio_s_return_to_basketball_after_Cleveland_exit_will_please_fans.webp"></figure><h1>Cavs: Ricky Rubio’s return to basketball after Cleveland exit will please fans</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-02-19T17:50:46-08:00">February 19th, 5:50pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-02-19T17:50:46-08:00">February 19th, 5:50pm</time><address><a>Rexwell Villas</a>A Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, Rex claims to have JR Smith's conscience with his shot selection. He has won a basketball, a baseball, and a football championship in fantasy all within a year.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Former Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Ricky Rubio is back on the basketball court, as he was recently seen all smiles while practicing with the Spanish National Team. The former Cavs court general seems to be enjoying the game he love the most again <a href="https://cavsnation.com/nba-rumors-cavs-backcourt-help-ricky-rubio-buyout" rel="noopener">after walking away</a> from the NBA <a href="https://cavsnation.com/cavs-news-ricky-rubio-retires-from-nba" rel="noopener">to focus on his mental health</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ricky Rubio is BACK on the basketball court for the Spanish National Team 🙌❤️</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroBasket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroBasket</a>) <a href="https://t.co/34MnkVIPZj">pic.twitter.com/34MnkVIPZj</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1759712015667339571?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Rubio played for two seasons with the Cavs from the 2021-22 campaign to 2022-23. He first arrived in Cleveland via a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2021. In 2022, Cleveland sent him to the Indiana Pacers before reuniting with the Cavs in 2022 thanks to a three-year deal worth $18.44 million. However, his stint with the Cavs was cut short in January when he announced his retirement without playing a game in the same season.</p><p>Still, Rubio is a beloved member of the Cavs family and his contribution to the team will be remembered for a long time.</p><p>Over the course of his relatively short stint with the Cavs, Rubio has averaged 9.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.1 steals through 67 games (10 starts). He also played in the NBA for the Timberwolves, Utah Jazz, and the Phoenix Suns.</p><p>While he’s no longer in the NBA, Rubio is continuing his professional basketball career in Europe, having signed with FC Barcelona in February. He is expected to make his <a href="https://basketnews.com/news-201986-ricky-rubio-aims-to-debut-vs-monaco.html" rel="noopener">debut for the team in March</a>, according to Barcelona teammate Alex Abrines (h/t Basket News).</p><p><i>“It’s an idea in his head,” explained Abrines about Rubio’s desire to debut against Monaco. The Barca team captain also stated that Rubio will first look at his performance with the national team in the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers and then decide on his EuroLeague debut.</i></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs: Ricky Rubio's return to basketball after Cleveland exit will please fans

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);   ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-cavs-backcourt-help-ricky-rubio-buyout');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Cavs ‘sniffing around’ for backcourt help after Ricky Rubio buyout');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/NBA_rumors_Cavs__sniffing_around__for_backcourt_help_after_Ricky_Rubio_buyout.webp"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Cavs ‘sniffing around’ for backcourt help after Ricky Rubio buyout</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-01-26T11:58:57-08:00">January 26th, 11:58am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-01-26T11:58:57-08:00">January 26th, 11:58am</time><address><a>Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Lead Associate Editor at ClutchPoints and Cavs Nation. He is originally from a small town in Southern California. Mistretta graduated college with a degree in broadcast journalism from Biola University.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Will the Cleveland Cavaliers make any moves ahead of the NBA trade deadline? Donovan Mitchell was <a href="https://cavsnation.com/cavs-news-darius-garland-evan-mobley-injuries-have-fans-thinking-donovan-mitchell-trade" rel="noopener">mentioned in trade rumors</a> early in the season, while Jarrett Allen has also been discussed as a potential trade candidate. However, Cleveland has been one of the hottest teams in the NBA over the past few weeks and they will likely hold onto their stars. The Cavs may, however, look to add guard depth following the <a href="https://cavsnation.com/cavs-news-fans-react-ricky-rubio-buyout" rel="noopener">Ricky Rubio buyout</a>.</p><p>“Keep an eye on Cleveland sniffing around for reserve guards, sources said, after buying out Ricky Rubio,” Jake Fischer <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/how-the-terry-rozier-trade-has-reset-the-point-guard-market-163709399.html" rel="noopener">recently wrote</a> for Yahoo Sports.</p><h2><b>Cavs’ potential NBA trade deadline plans</b></h2><p>Cleveland is in an interesting position ahead of the trade deadline. They are playing well despite dealing with a number of injury concerns, and will receive upgrades once certain players return. The Cavs are currently fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 26-16 record, so it is clear that this team is a contender.</p><p>With that being said, the Cavs have to truly ask themselves if they feel that they can seriously compete with the top teams, the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, and Philadelphia 76ers, in a playoff series.</p><p>If the answer is “no” to that question, then Cleveland should look into making a major splash ahead of the trade deadline. If the Cavs are confident enough in their current roster, though, then perhaps adding just a role player or two will suffice.</p><p>The Celtics have been incredible all season long. Milwaukee has found ways to win despite their lackluster defensive effort. Joel Embiid has the 76ers sitting in a good position once again. There are other teams to worry about in the East as well, but Boston, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia are the top contenders.</p><p>Anything is possible in the playoffs, though. The Cavs could pull off multiple upsets on their way to the NBA Finals. It goes without saying, but that would be easier said than done. Nevertheless, Cleveland is playing a confident brand of basketball right now.</p><p>We will continue to monitor and provide updates on the Cavs ahead of the trade deadline as they are made available.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Cavs ‘sniffing around’ for backcourt help after Ricky Rubio buyout

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/timberwolves-news-karl-anthony-towns-emotionally-reflects-ricky-rubio-impact');   ga('set', 'title', 'Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns emotionally reflects on Ricky Rubio’s impact on him');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Karl-Anthony_Towns_emotionally_reflects_on_Ricky_Rubio_s_impact_on_him.webp"></figure><h1>Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns emotionally reflects on Ricky Rubio’s impact on him</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-01-08T20:50:08-08:00">January 8th, 8:50pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-01-08T20:54:37-08:00">January 8th, 8:54pm</time><address><a>Rexwell Villas</a>Rexwell Villas is a Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, and he claims to have JR Smith's conscience with his shot selection. He is an experienced sports writer covering a variety of sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college football. He has won a basketball, a baseball, and a football championship in fantasy all within a year.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns has <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nQsiMXr-kk" rel="noopener">fond memories of playing alongside</a> Ricky Rubio, who just recently <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-donovan-mitchell-celebrate-ricky-rubios-unique-spirit-after-nba-retirement" rel="noopener">announced his retirement</a> from the NBA. After all,  Towns was able to catch the tail end of Rubio’s stint in the Twin Cities, as they played together in Minnesota for two seasons from the 2015-16 to 2016-17 campaigns. They also teamed up again during the 2020-21 season.</p><p>“I feel like anyone that’s been blessed to play with Ricky, probably has the same stories or feeling playing with him. Just how great of a human being he is, how great of a professional he is,” Towns said of his former teammate with the Timberwolves during a recent appearance on Podcast P with Paul George presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment.</p><h2><b>KAT remembers time with Ricky Rubio during first year with the Timberwolves</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Timberwolves_news_Karl-Anthony_Towns_injury_gets_worrisome_update_after_taking_down_Lakers_copy.webp"></figure><p>Towns also shared a great story about how nice of a teammate Rubio was, not just on the court but most especially off of it. Most people know Rubio as a savvy passer, but Towns’ story will let people realize that the Spaniard is an even a much better person.</p><p>“My story with him is when I first got to Minnesota, got drafted, and the first person that welcomed me into Minnesota was Ricky. He took me to a restaurant in Minnesota and just showed me around the city. Drove me around the city, showing me spots I should know about and just really welcomed me to Minnesota and made me feel comfortable. I just think that’s how Ricky always is with all of his teammates, he makes everyone feel so comfortable, so loved and cared for. Not even talking about him as a basketball player…but just as a human. I’m forever grateful to him for making me a better man.”</p><p>Apart from the Timberwolves, Rubio also suited up in the NBA for the Utah Jazz, the Phoenix Suns, and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Rubio announced the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-ricky-rubio-contract-buyout-mental-health-absence" rel="noopener">end of his time in the NBA</a> earlier this January via a heartfelt letter. Rubio leaves the NBA with career league averages of 10.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 1.8 steals through 698 games played.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns emotionally reflects on Ricky Rubio’s impact on him

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-donovan-mitchell-celebrate-ricky-rubios-unique-spirit-after-nba-retirement');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs, Donovan Mitchell celebrate Ricky Rubio’s ‘unique spirit’ after NBA retirement');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Ricky_is_one_of_the_most_unique_spirits_I_ve_ever_been_around.__The_Cavs_open_up_about_former_point_guard_Ricky_Rubio_copy.webp"></figure><h1>Cavs, Donovan Mitchell celebrate Ricky Rubio’s ‘unique spirit’ after NBA retirement</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-01-06T14:42:13-08:00">January 6th, 2:42pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-01-06T14:42:13-08:00">January 6th, 2:42pm</time><address><a>Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. He can also be found three to five times weekly on Locked On Cavs, a part of the Locked On Podcast Network.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Cavaliers agreeing to buy out Ricky Rubio’s contract seemed like just a small formality to some. To others, it was a sad, sobering <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-ricky-rubio-contract-buyout-mental-health-absence" rel="noopener">farewell to a player</a> who played a key role in setting the Cavs in motion to where they are today—individually, personally and as an organization.</p><p>“Ricky was one of my favorite people to be around,” said Cleveland head coach J.B. Bickerstaff. “I owe Ricky a debt of gratitude. There’s only a couple of guys that  I could say at this point that have had an impact on me in that way. He helped us, in a short period of time, and turned this organization to what you see in front of you now.”</p><h2><b>Ricky Rubio blazed brief, influential stint with Cavs</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Cavs_news_Ricky_Rubio_Cavs_agree_to_contract_buyout_after_mental_health_absence.webp"></figure><p>Rubio first crossed paths with the Cavs in a <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/wolves-ricky-rubio-traded-to-cavaliers" rel="noopener">trade between Cleveland and the Minnesota Timberwolves</a> during the 2021 offseason. The first time he spoke with the local media, the soft-spoken Rubio was clear and direct with his goal after joining the Cavs. He wanted to turn the team around and help them make the playoffs out of the shadow of LeBron James, no easy feat. Moreover, he saw potential in rising star Darius Garland and wanted to push him like he had with Donovan Mitchell in Utah or Devin Booker in Phoenix.</p><p>Rubio’s presence was lightning in a bottle for Cleveland, his energy and positivity proving infectious on the court. It eventually led to the Cavs crushing opponents to start 2021-22, and more impressively, propelled Garland to All-Star status for the first time in his career. Unfortunately, Rubio’s run with Cleveland was cut short after tearing his ACL against the New Orleans Pelicans 34 games into the season.</p><p>After the injury, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavaliers-news-cleveland-acquires-caris-levert-in-trade-with-pacers" rel="noopener">Cavs traded Rubio and a first-round pick</a> to the Indiana Pacers to acquire Caris LeVert, Cleveland’s supercharged sixth man. Even when he was no longer on the court or with the team, Rubio somehow made a difference for the Cavs, who never forgot his legacy.</p><p>“His presence allowed me to coach the team in a certain way where there was no one too big not to sacrifice,” said Bickerstaff. “He was a starting point guard throughout his career. He had the starting point guard level when he was with us. But he sacrificed to come off the bench and be a part of this team.</p><p>“Ricky is one of the most unique spirits I’ve ever been around. Period. He’s not a person who has to say a lot or has to always be in the middle, but somehow and someway he has that kind of pull that people want to be around him and spend time with him – play for him and not just with him. He will always have a special place for me.”</p><p>Rubio eventually returned to the Cavs the following offseason in free agency. While recovering from his torn ACL, Cleveland had a vision for Rubio to reignite their bench when he was healthy and continue to push two of his former proteges in Garland and Mitchell. Eventually, Rubio returned to the floor for Cleveland, but the basketball gods decided to be cruel. Despite being healthy enough to play, Rubio looked like a shell of himself on the court, and eventually, he was phased out of the rotation entirely.</p><p>Rubio’s body could no longer match his mind, and once the Cavs saw their season end, he soon paused his professional career entirely. It happened while preparing for another World Cup run with the Spanish national team. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-executive-koby-altman-drops-ricky-rubio-update-after-media-day-absence" rel="noopener">Rubio elected to focus on his mental health</a> and well-being. But eventually the pause became permanent, with Rubio calling July 30th one of the toughest nights of his career and admitting his mind went to a dark place.</p><h2><b>Donovan Mitchell fetes Ricky Rubio amid NBA retirement</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cavs-news-donovan-mitchell-gets-100-real-on-1-wish-after-rick-rubios-cleveland-exit.webp"></figure><p>When the<a href="https://www.nba.com/news/ricky-rubio-nba-retirement" rel="noopener"> sobering news came</a>, seeing a basketball virtuoso admit that it was time for him to say goodbye to the game he loved was tragic. Like everyone else, Mitchell, Rubio’s first superstar protege, found out through Rubio’s heartfelt post on social media. But unlike others, Mitchell felt this day could come, even if he was never fully prepared for it.</p><p>“I had a feeling that was coming, so I wasn’t as shocked,” Mitchell said. “I feel like he could breathe. I’m not speaking for him. But I feel like it’s just one of those things where it’s kind of like that indecision of what you want to do can be a lot. I’m just happy that he finally has time to feel like he can breathe and go pick up his son from school and be with his family in Spain. He’s been playing this game professionally at the highest of levels and had this expectation of himself since he was a teenager.</p><p>“We talk about what LeBron [James] has done for 20 years. That’s no small feat. But Ricky, as far as longevity and playing as a pro, that’s a lot. I think it’s going to be a sense of relief. Just be able to breathe and reflect on what good he’s done in his career.”</p><p>When Mitchell saw the news, he immediately reached out to send his thoughts and love to his teammate. He told the media he never expected a text back, but he wanted to let Rubio know he still loved him and would always be there for him.</p><p>Selfishly, Mitchell shared, he wished he could have one more chance to play with Ricky Rubio again. But upon reflecting on Rubio’s decision, Mitchell knew that this was the best thing for his friend.</p><p>“He’s done so much good for the NBA and for any organization he’s played with,” said Mitchell. “He’s just a guy that has touched everybody in so many great ways, and for him to call it quits, it’s a hell of a career and I’m happy for him.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs, Donovan Mitchell celebrate Ricky Rubio’s ‘unique spirit’ after NBA retirement

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);   ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-news-ricky-rubios-exit-devin-booker-message');   ga('set', 'title', 'Ricky Rubio’s Cavs exit sparks powerful Devin Booker message');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cavs-news-rick-rubios-cleveland-exit-sparks-powerful-devin-booker-message.webp"></figure><h1>Ricky Rubio’s Cavs exit sparks powerful Devin Booker message</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-01-06T05:48:42-08:00">January 6th, 5:48am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-01-06T05:48:42-08:00">January 6th, 5:48am</time><address><a>Gerard Samillano</a>Gerard is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints and Cavs Nation. When he's not writing, Gerard can often be seen playing VALORANT or playing pick-up basketball. He's also working on his BS Mathematics degree.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After a long and eventful career, Ricky Rubio is finally calling it a career. The Spanish point guard, who last played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, <a href="https://cavsnation.com/cavs-news-ricky-rubio-retires-from-nba" rel="noopener">announced his retirement</a> just this month after <a href="https://cavsnation.com/cavs-news-fans-react-ricky-rubio-buyout" rel="noopener">being bought out</a>. Rubio, who’s been incredibly popular during the course of his career, ends his career as one of the most prolific guards of his era.</p><p>Rubio has been with a lot of teams during the course of his career. One of his most successful stops was with the Phoenix Suns. Though he was only there for a season, the Cavs guard is credited heavily in the development of Devin Booker. Speaking after their game, Booker had <a href="https://twitter.com/GeraldBourguet/status/1743500374777225407" rel="noopener">nothing but nice words</a> for his former teammate, per Gerald Bourguet.</p><p>Suns’ Devin Booker: “I can be up here all day… Even though it was just one year, he (Cavs PG Ricky Rubio) was so impactful for my career. His veteran leadership, his IQ, his approach. He’s somebody who will always check in on you, whether he was on the team or even when he left too.”</p><p>Booker had more to say about his former teammate. This, frankly, speaks volumes about the character of the Cavs point guard, and why Rubio was such a coveted player by many teams in his career.</p><p>“An amazing career, somebody who we’ve all been following since he was 15-16 years old in Spain, he’s gained respect from everybody over here. Great career, I wish he played longer but everybody makes their decision. I’ll miss him on the floor, but he’s a friend forever”</p><p>Before Rubio became a member of the Suns, Booker was criticized as a shot-chucker, an “empty stats” player. However, when the now-Cavs PG joined Phoenix, it allowed Booker to thrive off the ball. That, eventually, led to him developing into a much better playmaker ironically, and he’s now a key piece in many championship contenders.</p><p>Rubio officially hung up his sneakers in 2024. While the Cavs PG never won an NBA ring, Rubio has earned many accolades as part of Spain’s national team. Rubio’s highlight-reel passes and locker room leadership will sorely be missed in the NBA.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ricky Rubio's Cavs exit sparks powerful Devin Booker message

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-news-donovan-mitchell-gets-100-real-on-1-wish-after-ricky-rubios-exit');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell gets 100% real on 1 wish after Ricky Rubio’s exit');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cavs-news-donovan-mitchell-gets-100-real-on-1-wish-after-rick-rubios-cleveland-exit.webp"></figure><h1>Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell gets 100% real on 1 wish after Ricky Rubio’s exit</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-01-05T15:27:57-08:00">January 5th, 3:27pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-01-05T15:27:57-08:00">January 5th, 3:27pm</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-donovan-mitchell-deserves-all-star-starter-recognition" rel="noopener">Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell</a> spoke highly about now <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-ricky-rubio-contract-buyout-mental-health-absence" rel="noopener">former teammate Ricky Rubio</a> who <a href="https://twitter.com/rickyrubio9/status/1742953996245971163" rel="noopener">announced his retirement</a> on social media through X (formerly known as Twitter). Mitchell would answer the question via Cleveland.com of what makes Rubio a great teammate. While he explained, the guard also mentioned that he wished <a href="https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2024/01/donovan-mitchell-pays-homage-to-beloved-teammate-ricky-rubio-following-retirement-announcement.html&amp;subscribed=google-oauth2%7C110912936188882915621" rel="noopener">he played another season</a> with the 33-year old.</p><p>“I’d say professionalism, energy and his brain. Those three things,” Mitchell said. “I wish I got one more year with him, but at the end of the day he’s done so much good for the NBA and for any organization he’s played with. He’s just a guy that has touched everybody in so many great ways, and for him to call it quits, it’s a hell of a career and I’m happy for him.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="zxx">… <a href="https://t.co/3NzE2QKO5F">pic.twitter.com/3NzE2QKO5F</a></p><p>— Ricky Rubio (@rickyrubio9) <a href="https://twitter.com/rickyrubio9/status/1742953996245971163?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/the-cavs-next-move-they-have-to-make-after-buying-out-ricky-rubio" rel="noopener">The Cavs and Rubio agreed</a> to a buyout which prompted the retirement announcement on social media. To Mitchell, he said Friday that he “had a feeling” that Rubio retiring was coming and that there is probably a sense of relief from the now former player.</p><p>“I had a feeling that was coming, so I wasn’t as shocked,” Mitchell said. “I feel like he could breathe. I’m not speaking for him. But I feel like it’s just one of those things where it’s kind of like that indecision of what you want to do can be a lot. I’m just happy that he finally has time to feel like he can breathe and go pick up his son from school and be with his family in Spain. He’s been playing this game professionally at the highest of levels and had this expectation of himself since he was a teenager.”</p><h2><b>Mitchell talks about his friendship with Rubio</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Cavs-news-Donovan-Mitchell-finds-silver-lining-in-failing-to-advance-in-In-Season-Tournament-despite-Hawks-win.jpg"></figure><p>It is no secret that Mitchell had a lot of respect for Rubio as mentioning he met his family and even went to his house in Spain, the country Rubio is from. He said that he is “grateful” for what Rubio has done for him on and off the court.</p><p>“I’ve been to his house in Spain. I know his family. I know everybody really well, and he’s just as genuine a human as I’ve ever met,” Mitchell said. “That’s Ricky. Never too high, never too low. I’m genuinely grateful for him. I’ve told him that a thousand times. He’s done so much for myself, for this organization, for the Jazz organization, for everywhere he’s been. I know D.G. [Darius Garland] feels the same as well. I know Book [Devin Booker] feels the same as well.”</p><p>Before Rubio played for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-fresh-faces-home-tilt-wizards-darius-garland-injury" rel="noopener">the Cavs</a> for two seasons, he spent most of his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves for seven years. He also had stops with the Utah Jazz and the Phoenix Suns. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/wizards-vs-cavaliers-prediction-odds-pick-how-to-watch-1-5-2024" rel="noopener">For the Cavs</a>, their next game is Friday night against the Washington Wizards as the team is 19-15 which puts them seventh in the Eastern Conference.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell gets 100% real on 1 wish after Ricky Rubio’s exit

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/the-cavs-next-move-they-have-to-make-after-buying-out-ricky-rubio');   ga('set', 'title', 'The Cavs’ next move they have to make after buying out Ricky Rubio');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/The_Cavs__next_move_they_have_to_make_after_buying_out_Ricky_Rubio_1.webp"></figure><h1>The Cavs’ next move they have to make after buying out Ricky Rubio</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-01-04T11:50:13-08:00">January 4th, 11:50am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-01-04T11:50:13-08:00">January 4th, 11:50am</time><address><a>Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. He can also be found three to five times weekly on Locked On Cavs, a part of the Locked On Podcast Network.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It’s a hard day if you’re a fan of the Cleveland Cavaliers, or just the game of basketball. Ricky Rubio, one of the greatest playmaking guards of his generation, announced his retirement on Twitter in the wake of news breaking that the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-early-2024-nba-trade-deadline-predictions" rel="noopener">Cavs</a> and Rubio had <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1742930666579542075?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1742930666579542075%7Ctwgr%5E886a0c5d15a18f66324bdc36872b9485643960e0%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fcavs-news-ricky-rubio-contract-buyout-mental-health-absence" rel="noopener">agreed to a buyout</a> of his contract. When healthy, Rubio was a spark plug for Cleveland, giving the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-ricky-rubio-contract-buyout-mental-health-absence" rel="noopener">Cavs</a> a consistent backup behind Darius Garland and played a key part in the team going from a hopeless rebuild to a hopeful contender.</p><p>Unfortunately, injuries took their toll on Rubio and his game, and he became a liability for Cleveland against the New York Knicks last postseason. The Cavs were more than patient with Rubio, allowing him to focus on his mental well-being and what he wants to do next with his basketball career. Unfortunately, the uncertainty about Rubio’s future eventually led to Cleveland exploring the trade market, looking for an upgrade on the roster spot the absent Rubio held. Sources tell ClutchPoints that opposing front offices were asking for far more than the Cavs were comfortable giving up to take on Rubio’s remaining contract. With Rubio’s trade market bearing no fruit, Cleveland bought out Rubio’s remaining salary, leading to the Spanish point guard’s retirement from the NBA.</p><p>Looking ahead, the Cavs now have two open roster spots and a bit more breathing room financially to make moves to improve their roster. It’s still unclear how much money Rubio left on the table in negotiations with Cleveland. However, at the time, Rubio had $3.5 million remaining (out of $6.1 million) on his contract for this season and $4.25 million guaranteed for the 2024-25 campaign. So, knowing that and considering that the Cavs were $752,000 below the luxury tax threshold and Rubio likely left some money on the table, the wiggle room still feels small but gives a bit of a vision as things advance on Cleveland’s upcoming moves.</p><p>The first major move is something the Cavs can handle in-house now that they have an open roster spot. According to multiple sources, undrafted rookie Craig Porter Jr., who is currently on a two-way deal with Cleveland, will likely be converted to a standard NBA contract around the time of the annual trade deadline. Porter Jr. has stepped up in his rookie season, running the offense to perfection whenever the Cavs were without Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell. Cleveland’s rookie guard has earned the trust of his teammates and coaching staff and, from now on, is entrenched as Garland’s primary backup, replacing the role originally held by Rubio.</p><p>Meanwhile, on the trade market, it’s clear that Cleveland needs players in a similar mold to forward Georges Niang. By that, the Cavs need bigger wing-type players who are comfortable playing either forward position but are even more comfortable taking (and making) as many wide-open attempts on the perimeter as possible. With Rubio’s contract now unavailable, it is more of a squeeze for Cleveland to make moves to satiate that need, with forward Dean Wade being the most attractive and available trade chip.</p><h2><b>Who could the Cavs target in a trade?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/The_Cavs__next_move_they_have_to_make_after_buying_out_Ricky_Rubio_2.webp"></figure><p>One move the Cavs could pursue could involve Cleveland sending Wade, Ty Jerome, and a future second-round selection to the Brooklyn Nets for Royce O’Neale. Or the Cavs could offer the same package with Damian Jones and an additional second-rounder to the Washington Wizards for Danilo Gallinari and Corey Kispert Jr. to satiate their needs. Something simpler would have Cleveland sending Wade and his eventually non-guaranteed contract to the Memphis Grizzlies for Jon Konchar, giving Memphis some relief with their roster crunch. Finally, the Cavs could swing for the fences and talk shop with the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics, offering up Wade and a second-rounder for Sam Hauser.</p><p>Finally, if there are still any open roster spots, the Cavs can look at any free-agent veterans they want to add to their roster. Either way, there are options out there for improvement, but Cleveland has to remain dynamic instead of static in the wake of the Rubio news. The need for a backup point guard has been answered with Porter Jr., but there’s still a need for additional shooting on the perimeter. Things will continue to heat up as it gets closer to Feb. 8 and the best thing to do is buckle up and get ready for the show.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

The Cavs’ next move they have to make after buying out Ricky Rubio

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);   ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-news-ricky-rubio-retires-from-nba');   ga('set', 'title', 'Ricky Rubio officially retires from NBA with heartfelt letter after Cavs buyout');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Cavs_news_Ricky_Rubio_officially_retires_from_NBA_with_heartfelt_letter_after_Cleveland_buyout_copy.webp"></figure><h1>Ricky Rubio officially retires from NBA with heartfelt letter after Cavs buyout</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-01-04T09:44:31-08:00">January 4th, 9:44am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-01-04T09:44:31-08:00">January 4th, 9:44am</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a>Benedetto Vitale is an avid sports writer who is an expert at covering the NFL, college football, and UFC. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2016 with a film degree but has since dedicated his career to sports writing. Go Titans, go Ducks, and go Kraken!</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Ricky Rubio has not played in the NBA since the 2022-23 season. <a href="https://cavsnation.com/cavs-news-fans-react-ricky-rubio-buyout" rel="noopener">Cleveland Cavaliers fans</a> were hopeful he’d return to action sometime this season, however, it turns out that Rubio is calling it a career. He made it official on Thursday after sending a heartfelt letter on social media.</p><p>The former Cavs point guard has apparently been going through some personal issues. It’s unclear what they are, but Ricky Rubio states in his retirement letter that he’ll open up about it someday. But for now, Rubio is keeping it private. <a href="https://twitter.com/rickyrubio9/status/1742953996245971163?s=20" rel="noopener">In his letter</a>, he also thanked the Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz, and Phoenix Suns.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="zxx">… <a href="https://t.co/3NzE2QKO5F">pic.twitter.com/3NzE2QKO5F</a></p><p>— Ricky Rubio (@rickyrubio9) <a href="https://twitter.com/rickyrubio9/status/1742953996245971163?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>Hopefully, Rubio overcomes whatever problems he’s dealing with. Getting his mental health in check is much more important than playing basketball. Calling it a career might just be the best possible scenario for Ricky Rubio right now. The good news is that it sounds like he’s progressing in the right direction.</p><p>Ricky Rubio spent 12 years playing in the NBA. During that span, Rubio averaged 10.8 points, 7.4 assists, and 4.1 rebounds. He was the fifth overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. He had all of the potential in the world after lighting it up in professional leagues in Spain as a teenager.</p><p><a href="https://cavsnation.com/cavs-news-how-jarrett-allen-is-making-cleveland-dynamic-without-darius-garland-evan-mobley" rel="noopener">As for the Cavs</a>, they likely already have Rubio’s replacement. Darius Garland is the starting point guard once he’s healthy. Additionally, Cleveland may have struck gold with undrafted free agent Craig Porter Jr.</p><p>With that said, we at ClutchPoints wish nothing but the best for Ricky Rubio. Hopefully, he enjoys retirement.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ricky Rubio officially retires from NBA with heartfelt letter after Cavs buyout

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);   ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-news-fans-react-ricky-rubio-buyout');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs fans react to Ricky Rubio buyout');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Cavs_news_Fans_react_to_Ricky_Rubio_buyout.webp"></figure><h1>Cavs fans react to Ricky Rubio buyout</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-01-04T08:41:30-08:00">January 4th, 8:41am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-01-04T08:41:30-08:00">January 4th, 8:41am</time><address><a>Owen Crisafulli</a>Owen Crisafulli recently received his Masters in Business Administration from Nichols College. Previously, he obtained his Bachelor's degree in Sport Management and for a while ran his own sports website. Sports are his passion, and he thoroughly enjoys writing about thoughts and opinions that are related to the game.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Cavaliers have been <a href="https://cavsnation.com/cavs-point-guard-targets-ricky-rubio-mental-health-hiatus" rel="noopener">without one of their bench guards</a> in Ricky Rubio to start the 2023-24 campaign, and it was announced on Thursday morning that the Cavs had <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1742928849711894869" rel="noopener">reached a buyout</a> with Rubio on his contract that has <a href="https://cavsnation.com/cavs-news-cleveland-ricky-rubio-parting-ways-return" rel="noopener">ended his time with the team</a>. Beyond that, if Rubio keeps on playing basketball, it’s likely going to be in his native Spain rather than in the NBA.</p><p>As the news rolled in, many fans were crushed to find out that this was likely the way that Rubio’s storied career in the NBA was going to come to an end. Unsurprisingly, tributes and heartfelt reactions began to pour in from fans who wished Rubio well and hoped that he would be able to overcome his mental health woes so that he can take the court again in the future.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">ESPN Sources: After stepping away from the franchise to address his mental health, guard Ricky Rubio and the Cleveland Cavaliers have agreed on a contract buyout. If Rubio — a 12-year veteran — plays professionally again, it will be likely in his native Spain. <a href="https://t.co/zyDvRihaGL">pic.twitter.com/zyDvRihaGL</a></p><p>— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1742928849711894869?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ricky Rubio is one of the best humans to ever put on a Timberwolves uniform. </p><p>Some things are bigger than basketball. </p><p>The love he has for Minnesota and our fans is real. Thanks for an incredible career. </p><p>❤️ <a href="https://t.co/sA2EgRhik2">pic.twitter.com/sA2EgRhik2</a></p><p>— Devin Jones (@DevinJonesMN) <a href="https://twitter.com/DevinJonesMN/status/1742934158329184631?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">With Ricky Rubio leaving the Cavs I'll never forget this performance by you 🕊️ <a href="https://t.co/O8cRRtkkxZ">pic.twitter.com/O8cRRtkkxZ</a></p><p>— Woat (@ClipsetWoat) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClipsetWoat/status/1742935568240214246?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Really hope Ricky Rubio is doing alright. Gonna miss him as a Cav. </p><p>Wishing you the best for whatever your future holds 13 ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/wvfPDRPyZP">pic.twitter.com/wvfPDRPyZP</a></p><p>— Grant Puskar (@grant_puskar_) <a href="https://twitter.com/grant_puskar_/status/1742933801687453970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ricky Rubio is the goat 💔 <a href="https://t.co/hKnI4qPBz4">pic.twitter.com/hKnI4qPBz4</a></p><p>— Nael (19-15)🇩🇿🇷🇪 (@Cxvs11_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cxvs11_/status/1742933880531996702?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"Dad, what was it like watching 21/22 Ricky Rubio on the Cavs before his injury" 😪 <a href="https://t.co/MpFJiJ9LkO">https://t.co/MpFJiJ9LkO</a> <a href="https://t.co/zzBGHF1HCO">pic.twitter.com/zzBGHF1HCO</a></p><p>— Manvir Bains (@MannyBLFC) <a href="https://twitter.com/MannyBLFC/status/1742930345497088063?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Rubio spent most of his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but he landed with the Cavs for his final two seasons, and became a big piece of their rotation. Unfortunately, Rubio tore his ACL in the 2021-22 season, and while he managed to return last year for 33 games, his impact just was not the same for Cleveland.</p><p>Cleveland didn’t have Rubio at their disposal at all this season after he left the team to focus on his mental health, and with this move, his time in the NBA is likely over. Hopefully, Rubio will be able to figure out his mental health issues so that he can continue playing basketball, but even if this is the end for him, he can ride off into the sunset knowing that he had a great career in the NBA.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs fans react to Ricky Rubio buyout

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-news-ricky-rubio-contract-buyout-mental-health-absence');   ga('set', 'title', 'Ricky Rubio, Cavs agree to contract buyout after mental health absence');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Cavs_news_Ricky_Rubio_Cavs_agree_to_contract_buyout_after_mental_health_absence.webp"></figure><h1>Ricky Rubio, Cavs agree to contract buyout after mental health absence</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-01-04T07:29:52-08:00">January 4th, 7:29am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-01-04T11:23:00-08:00">January 4th, 11:23am</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Over the summer, Ricky Rubio stepped away from the Cleveland Cavaliers in order to address some <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-executive-koby-altman-drops-ricky-rubio-update-after-media-day-absence" rel="noopener">mental health issues</a>. On Thursday, his time with the Cavs came to an end.</p><p>The Cavs and Rubio have agreed to on a <a href="https://x.com/wojespn/status/1742928849711894869?s=20" rel="noopener">contract buyout</a>, ending the 12-year veteran’s time in the NBA, first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">END OF THE LINE</p><p>The Cavs and Ricky Rubio have agreed to a contract buyout, ending his 12-year NBA career, per <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wojespn</a>. <a href="https://t.co/hw6jjloW1f">pic.twitter.com/hw6jjloW1f</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1742930666579542075?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Rubio missed time each of the last two seasons while recovering from an ACL injury suffered in 2021.</p><p>With $6.1 million left on his contract this season and $6.4 million for the 2024-25 season, the Cavs now open up a roster spot and some financial flexibility moving forward after agreeing to this buyout with Rubio. Cleveland currently has 13 players on their active roster, Tristan Thompson owning a partially guaranteed deal and sharpshooter Sam Merrill owning a non-guaranteed contract.</p><p>After news of the buyout broke, Rubio took to social media and <a href="https://cavsnation.com/cavs-news-ricky-rubio-retires-from-nba" rel="noopener">officially announced his retirement</a> from the NBA. In a farewell letter to the fans, Rubio cited that his NBA career “has come to an end” and that he hopes to one day share his mental health troubles with everyone when the time is right.</p><p>Originally drafted fifth overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2009, Rubio has spent time with four different franchises, five if you count his short stint with the Indiana Pacers, where he did not play in a single game. Rubio will always be remembered as one of the two guards Minnesota selected ahead of future Hall of Fame point guard Stephen Curry, perhaps one of the biggest “what if” storylines pertaining to the draft.</p><p>In 2005, Rubio began his professional career with DKV Joventut in Spain at just 14 years old, making him the youngest player to have ever debuted in the Spanish ACB League. From there, he went on to play for FC Barcelona before joining the Timberwolves in 2011. Rubio helped Barcelona claim the 2010 EuroLeague championship.</p><p>Always known for being a sustainable playmaker and facilitator on the perimeter, Ricky Rubio ends his NBA career averaging 10.8 points, 7.4 assists, and 1.8 steals per game over the course 698 total games.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ricky Rubio, Cavs agree to contract buyout after mental health absence

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);   ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-news-cleveland-ricky-rubio-parting-ways-return');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs, Ricky Rubio considering parting ways amid doubts over return');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Cavs_news_Cleveland_Ricky_Rubio_considering_parting_ways_amid_doubts_over_return.webp"></figure><h1>Cavs, Ricky Rubio considering parting ways amid doubts over return</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-12-20T10:30:25-08:00">December 20th, 10:30am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-12-20T10:34:42-08:00">December 20th, 10:34am</time><address><a>Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Lead Associate Editor at ClutchPoints and Cavs Nation. He is originally from a small town in Southern California. Mistretta graduated college with a degree in broadcast journalism from Biola University.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Ricky Rubio’s time with the Cleveland Cavaliers may come to an end soon. Rubio, a veteran point guard, is <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1737531455893381150" rel="noopener">reportedly discussing parting ways</a> with the Cavs as doubts have emerged about his return to the NBA, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.</p><p>Rubio hasn’t played during the 2023-24 season as he <a href="https://cavsnation.com/cavs-news-ricky-rubio-drops-out-2023-fiba-world-cup-focus-mental-health" rel="noopener">manages his mental health</a>. The concern has led to a belief that Rubio’s time in the league could be over.</p><p>If Rubio decides he wants to continue playing, the Cavs could still consider trading him as they look to open up a roster spot. However, Cleveland may end up releasing the veteran as well.</p><p>Regardless of what the future holds for Rubio, he should be proud of his impressive NBA career.</p><h2><b>A look at Cavs guard Ricky Rubio’s career in the NBA</b></h2><p>Rubio made his NBA debut in 2011 with the Minnesota Timberwolves. An exciting guard, Rubio displayed elite court vision and passing ability early in his career.</p><p>Rubio wasn’t the best scorer, but still consistently averaged over 10 points for most of his career. In fact, his scoring total currently sits at 10.2 points per game for his time in the league.</p><p>Rubio’s ability to record assists stood out, however. His career-average of 7.2 assists per contest speaks to his ability to find open teammates on a consistent basis. Additionally, Rubio was a respectable defender and effective floor general.</p><p>Aside from Minnesota, Rubio also played for the Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, and Cavs. He’s been in Cleveland since the 2021-22 campaign, but was limited to under 34 games in each of his two seasons with the Cavaliers.</p><p>It is uncertain what Rubio’s basketball future holds at the moment. At 33-years old, there is a chance that we have seen the last of Rubio at the NBA level. Nothing is guaranteed at the moment, though.</p><p>We will continue to monitor and provide updates on Rubio and the Cavs as they are made available.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs, Ricky Rubio considering parting ways amid doubts over return

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-cleveland-ricky-rubio-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Where could the Cavs send Ricky Rubio in a trade?');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Where_could_the_Cavs_send_Ricky_Rubio_in_a_trade_-_1.webp"></figure><h1>Where could the Cavs send Ricky Rubio in a trade?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-12-20T09:54:32-08:00">December 20th, 9:54am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-12-20T09:59:33-08:00">December 20th, 9:59am</time><address><a>Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. He can also be found three to five times weekly on Locked On Cavs, a part of the Locked On Podcast Network.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>When the news broke that the Cleveland Cavaliers <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-deep-trouble-darius-garland-evan-mobley-injury-updates" rel="noopener">would be without</a> Darius Garland and Evan Mobley until early 2024, the immediate reaction was that their season was over. Cleveland was already on a three-game losing skid and looked lost on the court. So when it was announced that Mobley’s knee and Garland’s jaw would keep them sidelined, it was understandable to think that the end wasn’t near. It was here.</p><p>And now, every expert, analyst, fan, and pundit saw the vultures beginning to circle and thought it was time for the team to tear things down, fire J.B. Bickerstaff, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-donovan-mitchell-trade-chatter-heating-up" rel="noopener">trade Donovan Mitchell</a> and Jarrett Allen, and retool around a healthier Garland and Mobley.</p><p>But, two games into life without Garland and Mobley and the Cavs have won two in a row. Neither win over the Atlanta Hawks nor the Houston Rockets were dominant for Cleveland, but that’s to be expected when they’re missing arguably two of their most important players. But with the Cavs taking a softer portion of their schedule in stride, it looks like Rome was not burning, with Moon Dog fiddling away.</p><p>Now Cleveland likely won’t go undefeated while Mobley and Garland are out. But it does at least bring some normalcy back to the table and, in turn, some stability for a Cavs team that desperately needed it. Nevertheless, the vultures are still circling, which will continue to create unnecessary outside noise. Thankfully, Yahoo Sports NBA insider Jake Fischer was the voice of reason on the national stage, sharing some interesting intel and shooing the buzzers away. According to Fischer, Cleveland <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/cavaliers-in-no-hurry-to-move-all-star-donovan-mitchell-145244438.html" rel="noopener">isn’t actively looking</a> to break up their star-powered quartet nor searching for an alternative at head coach.</p><h2><b>Cavs’ Ricky Rubio trade?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Where_could_the_Cavs_send_Ricky_Rubio_in_a_trade_-_2.webp"></figure><p>More interestingly, Fischer did mention that Ricky Rubio, who is away from the team to prioritize his mental health, is someone the Cavs are looking to trade leading up to the annual trade deadline. Now, the optics can be a bit muddled for Cleveland to move on from Rubio who is at a crossroads in his career, figuring out if he mentally can continue to deal with the anguish and toll constant injuries have taken on him. But, to Fischer’s point, Rubio is taking up a valuable roster spot, hamstringing a top-heavy team that is missing key players at the top.</p><p>So, while it can be tricky to navigate, a team or two out there could be willing to take on Rubio’s contract. It’ll take the Cavs sprinkling in some incentives to make it happen, but there are teams at the bottom of either conference that could be interested if Cleveland called.</p><p>One possibility could be a simple swap with the lowly Washington Wizards, where the Cavs send Rubio and a future second-round selection for Delon Wright. If that doesn’t work, perhaps a swap with the Detroit Pistons, where the Cavs send the same hypothetical package and Ty Jerome to acquire Alec Burks. Finally, if Cleveland wants to be really bold, they could always offer up Rubio and two future second-round selections to land Derrick Rose and Jon Konchar from the Memphis Grizzlies.</p><p>Clearly, there are options that make sense for the Cavs and a team that will be acquiring Rubio. There are only 36 days to go until the annual trade deadline, so talks will start heating up sooner rather than later. For the vultures overhead, any trade coming from Cleveland’s front office won’t be overly splashy. Instead, it’ll be like the packages mentioned above, where the team looks to get better on the margins rather than tearing everything down to start fresh.</p><p>A recent update suggested that Cleveland and Rubio <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1737531455893381150" rel="noopener">may consider parting ways</a>, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.</p><p>“The Cleveland Cavaliers and Ricky Rubio have begun discussing a potential parting of ways amid doubts about Rubio resuming an NBA career that has spanned 12 seasons, league sources say,” Charania wrote on X (formerly Twitter).</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2022-23 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
5.2	2.1	3.5	0.2	0.8

2022-23 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
5.2	2.1	3.5	0.2	0.8

Ricky Rubio news

Ricky
Rubio news