12:40pm: Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com confirms that the Cavaliers and Rubio are discussing options, but says they’re not close to reaching a resolution at this time. A trade would be Cleveland’s preferred path, Fedor adds.
12:15pm: The Cavaliers and Ricky Rubio have begun to discuss the possibility of a parting of ways, sources tell Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
Rubio hasn’t been with the Cavs at all this season after announcing in August that he was pausing his playing career for mental health reasons. The veteran point guard, who remains in Spain, isn’t expected to play this season and there are “serious doubts” about whether he’ll ever resume his career, according to Charania and Vardon, who hear that the 33-year-old isn’t believed to be engaging in basketball activities to stay sharp.
The Cavs, meanwhile, are dealing with long-term injuries to Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Ty Jerome, and are carrying an open roster spot for luxury tax reasons — they’re only $752K below the tax line, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). Freeing up some money and a roster spot would put the team in a better position to address its roster depth, particularly in the backcourt.
Rubio’s cap hit for this season is approximately $6.15MM. He’s on the books for $6.44MM next season, though only $4.25MM of that 2024/25 salary is guaranteed.
As Charania and Vardon detail, a buyout, a waive-and-stretch, and a trade are some of the potential routes the Cavaliers figure to consider. A waive-and-stretch transaction is presumably the least attractive of those options, since the deadline to stretch this season’s salary has passed — Rubio’s $6.15MM cap charge for ’23/24 would remain unchanged, meaning Cleveland wouldn’t create any additional financial flexibility below the tax line.
Negotiating a buyout with Rubio would allow the Cavaliers to reduce his cap hit for this season, but Charania and Vardon note that the team wants to “do right” by the veteran, who is considered a major part of the team’s resurgence in recent years. That suggests the front office may be reluctant to ask him to give up a significant chunk of money.
Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported earlier today that a trade involving Rubio was a possibility, and it might be the most appealing option if the Cavs can find the right sort of deal. If Cleveland were to attach a draft asset to Rubio and move him in a trade for a player who’s earning less than him, it could clear a path for the club to fill the 15th spot on its roster without surpassing the tax threshold. In that scenario, Rubio’s new team would then be responsible for either negotiating a buyout or simply waiving him.
He’s not playing, why does he have to be paid for sitting at home in Spain? I understand he’s going through “mental health” challenges, but if I stay home from work I don’t get paid. I’m sympathetic to his issues, but why does he still get paid for them?
Because that’s the way NBA contracts are written.
It depends on what company you work and if you have a compelling reason. My job paid me while taking an extended leave of absence to take care of family business. It wasn’t millions but they paid me including bonuses for 3 months at full pay then three months at half and held my position for another 6 months without pay while still accruing PTO and vacation time.
My job doesn’t let me play basketball during work hours lol what’s your point? When you make it to the NBA you can compare your situations, until then it’s not relevant.
Mental health is mental health, regardless as to whether you work in sales, accounting, contracting or the NBA.
You claim to understand what he’s going through but put mental health in quotations for some reason?
“I’m sympathetic to his issues,”
You put “mental health” in quotes, insinuating that either he’s lying or that his issues are not a big deal, and also questioned why he should get paid while dealing with them. So no, you are not sympathetic to his issues.
If a guy tears his achilles, do you put “physical health” in quotes and wonder why he’s still getting paid? Ridiculous.
Or he put mental health in quotes because that’s the way it was phrased in the original article he was referencing and you are looking for something to get triggered about.
This could be true. Also, if the OP had written, “I understand he’s going through mental health challenges,” without the quotes, no one would have asked his source or been confused, right? Still, we like that you’re offering potential other ways to read it
The context supports questioning the intent of the quotation.
Love the way this guy plays and he’s a great human. I hope he can get his head right.
Cavs need him too
Bring back KPJ lol
Not after what they found in his locker…
Under the current CBA, mental health issues are treated essentially the same as other health issues, but that cuts both ways. A player still needs to establish both the fact of an illness/condition and that it prevents him from playing before his absence from games is justified. Simmons for instance, did not establish any of it, and eventually settled on a basis that effectively cost him most of his salary for the games he missed.
Most full time employment at will (which is what I assume people are referencing when talking about what would happen at their jobs) wouldn’t be much different. Certainly, in the case of any employment under any union agreement I can think of, it wouldn’t be much different.
I know that indignation is the life blood of any message board, but this might not be the right issue to explore its outer boundaries. Honestly, I didn’t even see where it says he was actually being paid for the missed games. The salary cap numbers are what the are. Nominal payment of the salary isn’t dispositive of whether he’ll actually get and be able to keep the money.
Free Rubio!!!
I agree that a trade seems the logical way out.
Seems logical all potential partners will want to wait until close to the trade deadline to see if they can be part of a bigger trade. The Rubio deal could be folded into another trade and make finances better + salary matching easier.
But still I was curious which player (or players?) they could and would want in return.
Taking on two players with their open roster spot to facilitate a trade could reduce the draft assets that need to be added. It seems logical that some cash will be added by the Cavs also.
Logical destination would be a team with either enough cap space or a trade exception and far under the luxury tax this and next year.
A few teams came to mind that could fit the bill: Charlotte, Detroit, Orlando, Toronto, Washington, Houston, New Orleans, OKC, Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio and Utah.
If this is a three-team deal, then the returning player could be any of 20 names or so, depending on cash+picks added.
When a team has a long-term physical injury to 1 or more players there is usually a salary cap exception made so the team can fill out their roster even if all they can afford are some 10 day contracts. 2 seasons back the Cavaliers received a salary cap exception when both Collin Sexton and Ricky Rubio went down for the season. Again Rubio is injured it is just that his injury is mental. A salary cap exception makes more sense than trading a player who is unlikely to play again and giving up valuable draft assets in the process. It appears obvious the Cavaliers will promote Craig Porter Jr to a standard contract if they can find the payroll space without going over the luxury tax. Certainly anot2 way player fine also be found. For example Pete Nance or Sharife Cooper. I don’t know the nature of Rubio’s mental health problems but it appeared he was a tenuous fit after we acquired Donovan Mitchell. It is sad that a player who once seemed like a Godsend to the team now seems more like an albatross around the team’s financial neck.