The NBA Playoffs are set to start this weekend, with the NBA Play-In Tournament taking center stage this week. For the teams who didn’t qualify for either, they have already begun their offseason preparations.
This offseason is going to be an interesting one around the league. There are several teams on the cusp of being playoff contenders that came out of nowhere this season to find some success. One of those teams is the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Cleveland spent a majority of the season in the top-four of the Eastern Conference before injuries began piling up. The most recent one to Jarrett Allen has proven the most difficult to overcome as he was a key cog in their defensive gameplan. Earlier in the season, a similar impact was felt when Ricky Rubio went down with an injury.
Rubio tore his ACL after appearing in only 34 games. He was having a strong season, averaging 13.1 points, 6.6 assists, and 4.1 rebounds in 28.5 minutes per game. His role grew following the injury to Collin Sexton and he proved to be a key piece of the backcourt rotation.
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Rubio was playing at such a high level for the Cavaliers that many people thought he was pricing himself out of Cleveland. Hitting NBA free agency this summer, the 31-year old Rubio was looking at one more solid, multi-year payday.
“He was likely headed for a contract north of the mid-level exception, possibly out of Cleveland’s price range,” Chris Fedor of cleveland.com explained.
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Unfortunately, the knee injury may have ended that. While it was an unfortunate occurrence, it is something that could help Cleveland. Because of his age and the fact he will likely be out until midway through the 2022-23 season, Rubio likely saw his next contract value diminish greatly.
Rubio was traded to the Indiana Pacers as part of the deal to bring in Caris LeVert, but he is someone that they could target this offseason in NBA free agency. Both sides enjoyed their time together and he is a great fit.
“Rubio enjoyed his time in Cleveland, and his good buddy—Jose Calderon—is in the front office. The Cavs like Rubio just as much, if not more,” Fedor wrote. “They never doubted his importance.”
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As a result, Bleacher Report believes that Rubio will re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a one-year deal. Should he remain healthy during the second half of the season when he can return, there is a chance he can work out a multi-year deal to remain in Cleveland as they are an ascending team only scratching the surface of their potential.
