Fri, Nov 20, 2020 at 10:20pm

RICKY RUBIO REELED IN BY MINNESOTA

In a three-team trade, the Minnesota Timberwolves acquired guard Ricky Rubio and forward Jaden McDaniels from the Oklahoma City Thunder, and guard/forward Leandro Bolmaro from the New York Knicks; Oklahoma City acquired center/forward Aleksej Pokusevski, forward James Johnson and a second-round draft pick in 2024 from the Timberwolves; and New York acquired guard Immanuel Quickley from the Thunder, and a second-round draft pick in 2023 and forward Mathias Lessort from the Timberwolves.

What does it give the Minnesota Timberwolves
Rubio returns to his original NBA franchise in Minnesota, but this time there is a logjam in the backcourt. He is a quality passer and veteran presence, which works well for the Timberwolves, a team that owned the top pick in this year's draft and selected Anthony Edwards. Minny may start Rubio and Russell together in the backcourt in 2020-21, with Malik Beasley and Edwards the other options. The T'wolves also added power forward Jaden McDaniels (the 28th pick in this year's draft), a big man who might see a lot of action right away as a rookie.

What does it give the Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City has been collecting draft picks, so it makes sense that they moved Rubio and two more first-round draft picks to land intriguing big man Pokusevski. Rubio was not going to play above Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Oklahoma City; Ty Jerome may be the backup point guard now, with Jalen Lecque also in the equation. Pokusevski could become a star, but probably needs time to fully develop. As for Bolmaro, he is yet another intriguing international player headed to OKC, eventually. Johnson is not expected to remain with the Thunder, and might be moved yet again shortly.

What does it give the New York Knicks
The Knicks were added to this trade because of their draft position this year. They added a good young point guard in Quickley, who has a chance to see regular playing time as a rookie in 2020-21. New York also added a future second-rounder and Lessort, a 25-year-old forward who was originally selected 50th overall in the 2017 NBA Draft. Lessort may never cross over to North America to play for the Knicks but the new regime in New York felt he was worth a dart throw at this point.

Fantasy impact
Rubio's fantasy value is that of a pass-first point guard, regardless of what team he plays for. Therefore, fantasy leaguers should not draft the veteran Spaniard until the later regions of most league formats. Pokusevski should definitely be picked up in keeper leagues, perhaps even as a top-10 selection. However, he figures to have less value for 2020-21. McDaniels has a chance to play a large role in Minnesota, since they lack quality at the power forward position. That said, expectations should be low for his rookie campaign. Both Bolmaro and Quickley have keeper-league appeal and should be drafted in those formats. Johnson can be safely ignored until his new destination (and role) is determined. Lessort is off the fantasy radar until/unless he signs to play for the Knicks.