Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio could be a trade target all the way to February's deadline after the Spanish playmaker rejected a four-year, $44 million contract extension. Desperately looking to make a return trip to the playoffs, the T-Wolves might pull off a move to get another disgruntled guard Eric Bledsoe from the Phoenix Suns, according to Jerry Zgoda in his latest article on the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
According to Zgoda, the Timberwolves are reportedly interested in acquiring Bledsoe via sign-and-trade despite rejecting the Suns' last effort to get power forward Kevin Love, who officially joins the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The NBA writer believed acquiring Bledsoe is still possible for the Wolves, but it may need one of their valuable assets to get it done. Apparently, trading Rubio for Bledsoe would make sense for the rebuilding franchise.
"I don't know if I'd say big, but sure it's a possibility. If I were Flip and I could figure out someone to swap Ricky for Bledsoe and give him the max max, I'd do it quickly... I'd try to swing a deal that in some form would be Rubio for Bledsoe if the max max would convince Bledsoe to come here," Zgoda stated in his report.
The Suns and Bledsoe have yet to agree on a contract extension after the latter rejected a four-year, $48 million offer. The former Kentucky Wildcats standout reportedly demands a max contract worth $83 million over five years - something the Suns management doesn't want to give.
Being unrestricted free-agent, Bledsoe is reportedly leaning towards accepting a $3 million qualifying offer for the 2014-15 season so he can become an unrestricted free-agent next summer. In an attempt to salvage some assets before Bledsoe walks away, the Suns are expected to gauge interest on Bledsoe before making a decision before trade deadline.
As for the Timberwolves, the franchise is once again undergoing another rebuilt following the departure of Love. Although they have acquired quality assets such as Andrew Wiggins and Thaddeus Young in a separate trade with the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers, the Timberwolves management are convinced that they still need to tweak their roster a little bit to become a contender in the Western Conference.
Rubio, who averaged 10.1 points and 8.1 assists in his career, has been a terrific ball distributor for the T-Wolves but lacks the ability to carry the scoring load. Bledsoe, on the other hand, proved he can light up the scoreboards in various shots after averaging 17.7 points along with 5.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game last season.
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