Ricky Rubio
The other remaining unrestricted free agent the Jazz have is Ricky Rubio. And he represents one of their toughest dilemmas this summer. Most would argue that the Jazz need a serious upgrade at the point guard spot and that keeping Ricky Rubio simply doesn’t fit Utah’s best interest. Others may claim that Rubio has shown immense moments of promise, and if he had another shooter in the starting lineup rather than playing alongside non-shooters Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert, he could be prolific.
I see the argument in that latter point, but unfortunately I also think Rubio’s time in Utah has simply run its course. He likely has interest in returning as he was visibly elated to not be dealt at the deadline and he has expressed nothing but love for remaining with this team. However, the simple fact of the matter is the Jazz need a point guard who can do more than just run the offense and pass the ball. They need one that can put pressure on opposing defenses, create a shot and, ideally, defend as well.
Rubio hasn’t done a good job of checking any of those boxes. And his frustrating inconsistency as well as his shooting decline from a season ago were both very much detrimental to the Jazz all season. Some Jazz fans have expressed a hope that Rubio could be retained on the team he loves to embrace a role off the bench at a discounted price. As nice as that could be in theory, I just don’t see it happening.
Despite his shortcomings, Rubio has too much to offer to simply settle for a bench role when there are most certainly teams that would pay him well to be their starting floor general. There is a chance that the Jazz make upgrades elsewhere in the roster such as at the three or four-spot, then opt to keep Rubio around, but I don’t see that happening. He was on the trade block at the deadline for a reason and I believe enhancing the point will be a main area of focus this summer.
When and if that happens, there will be no room left for Rubio on the squad as he’ll almost certainly pursue the best opportunity for him in terms of financial wellness and playing time. Rubio’s been a great Jazzman for the past two years, but that will likely come to a difficult end this summer.
Verdict: Likely gone