In case you missed it, here’s a link to the ESPN.com reportage on the latest chapter in the Minnesota Timberwolves off-season soap opera starring Ricky Rubio.
The latest chapter is all about — believe it or not — economics. In order to sign their first-round draft pick and create that excellently thought-out Rubio/Jonny Flynn redundancy at point guard, the Minnesota Timberwolves must first buy out Rubio’s contract with DKV Joventut; this represents a hefty $6.6 million.
Thus the executive decision was made at Minnesota Timberwolves Basketball, Inc.: Team president David Kahn would fly across the ocean — on costly private charter jet, no doubt — hat in hand to beg Joventut ownership to lower the price for the poor NBA team.
“The one thing holding him back [from playing in the NBA] appears to be money.”
Tell you what: I bet the T-wolves have more money than Joventut. If i were on the Badalona team with Jordi Villacampa et al, i wouldn’t budge one sou off that $6.6 million. Truth is Rubio could be a dominant force on the court and in endorsements; Joventut won’t see a commodity like Rubio again for some time.
Surely the Minnesotans will understand. This is all about economics, after all.
do you hate americans?
Heh heh. Nope, i’m just enjoying the irony of my country (!) getting the opposite end of the capitalist stick for once. And come on, all nationalities aside, isn’t it tasteless at best for an obviously much larger sports franchise to ask for a discount on the most valuable commodity on the continent from a small one? I mean, would AC Milan go begging the Los Angeles Galaxy for a break on the loan price of David Beckham?
Yours,
Os.
This post just shows a lack of knowledge of the NBA rules. NBA teams can only pay $500,000 toward buying out a foreign contract. The remainder of the burden of the buyout will fall to Rubio. Kahn is attempting to lower the price of the buyout for Rubio, who personally cannot pay the buyout given the low salary he has received while playing in Spain.