Cleveland Cavalier Rumors: Ricky Rubio to Play For Cavs in Preseason Game Against Orlando Magic

Sep 15, 2016 06:00 AM EDT

The 2016-2017 NBA preseason is about to kick off in less than a month but it seems the Cleveland Cavaliers are planning on adding a new player to the roster before they take on the Orlando Magic. According to rumors, that player could be Ricky Rubio of the Minnesota Timberwolves through a trade.

The Cavs are all set to face Magic on Oct. 5 at the Quicken Loans Arena. But, before the Cleveland franchise goes through with its first preseason game, the team will reportedly trade with the Timberwolves first to get Rubio.

Adding the 25-year-old point guard from Spain will certainly boost the Cavs' offensive plays primarily due to his shooting abilities and quick-pass moves. With him on the floor, the Cavs will be able to rotate the ball more easily to find an open man or go for quick 2s.

He'll also serve as a suitable partner to Kyrie Irving in delivering fast-paced plays during games. Combined with the skills of LeBron James, the new lineup with Rubio can definitely help the Cavs successfully defend their NBA title in the upcoming season.

Dealing with Timberwolves for Rubio will also be easy for Cleveland especially since the Minnesota organization added Kris Dun to its roster during this year's draft event. With Dunn and Zach LaVine on the lineup, the Timberwolves have their point guard positions pretty much covered even without Rubio.

In exchange, the Cavs could offer Kevin Love for Rubio. After all, as fans of Cleveland saw during the finals series, Love struggled with adapting to the plays and pace set by James and his crew. As noted by various sports analysts, these games showed that Love really doesn't work well with the rest of the Cavs.

If a trade does happen, then it will also serve as a comeback for Love to the Timberwolves, the team he played with from 2008 to 2014.

Aside from Love, another option would be trading a couple of Cavs' future draft picks to the Timberwolves.

Although the trade sounds ideal, there's a chance that the Cavs might think twice about shouldering Rubio's salary from Minnesota. Back in 2014, he signed a four-year contract extension that's worth $56 million. Trading him away would serve as a salary dump for the Timberwolves but for the Cavs, it might be out of budget especially since they are facing a huge luxury tax from last year.