Ricky Rubio did his best to stamp out rumors that his camp is pushing for a trade, making it clear in comments to Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press that he’s not making any such effort to leave Minnesota and that he wants to be there when the team starts winning (Twitter links). “I really want to make it work here,” Rubio said. The point guard’s four-year, $55MM extension kicks in for 2015/16, a season in which the Wolves are in position to become the first team to have three consecutive No. 1 overall picks on the roster. Here’s more from around the Northwest Division:
- Kyle Singler‘s tenure with the Thunder got off to a rough start, but the team wants him back, and the soon-to-be restricted free agent makes it clear that interest is mutual, as The Oklahoman’s Darnell Mayberry details. “I want to be back for sure,” Singler said. “This is the type of environment that I think I thrive in. A winning team. A winning organization. Talented players. This is where I want to be.” Singler also said that joining the team at midseason gives him a leg up on next year in Oklahoma City, furthering the notion that he expects to re-sign.
- Perry Jones III has one more year left on his rookie scale contract, but it seems as though there’s some uncertainty that he’ll return to Oklahoma City for next season, given the Thunder‘s roster logjam, writes fellow Oklahoman scribe Anthony Slater. He’s eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer, but I’d feel safe in speculating that it’s a longshot that he’d receive such a deal.
- A quartet of Blazers beat writers, in a piece for The Oregonian, agree that Portland seems likely to retain Allen Crabbe, whose contract is non-guaranteed for next season. That’s in part because of the low cost associated with the deal, which calls for him to make the minimum, observes Joe Freeman of The Oregonian.