Ricky Rubio trade has proven to be a success for the Utah Jazz
By Janey Murray
On June 30, 2017, the Utah Jazz acquired point guard Ricky Rubio from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for a 2018 first round draft pick from the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Ten months later, that trade appears to have made a huge impact on the 2017–18 Utah Jazz, who have skyrocketed up the Western Conference standings throughout the season and are now the five-seed in the conference, having clinched a playoff spot. Utah will match up with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
Utah’s success is thanks in large part to the acquisition of Rubio in the offseason. In 76 games played, Rubio has averaged 29.3 minutes per game, 13.1 points per game and a field goal percentage of 41.8 percent, according to NBA Advanced Stats. He also leads the team in assists with 5.3 per game and steals with 1.6 per game.
Not only has Rubio made a huge impact for the Jazz this season, but he has put up the best numbers of his career in Utah. This season, he has averaged the highest field goal percentage, 3-point percentage and points per game of his career, according to Basketball Reference.
Rubio was acquired in exchange for a first-round draft pick, which is a significant investment. Just look at what Donovan Mitchell, the 2017 first-round pick of the Denver Nuggets that the Jazz acquired on draft day, has done in his first year in Utah. But Rubio has had similar production to Mitchell and been a key part of Utah’s success at the point guard position in the absence of George Hill, who signed with the Sacramento Kings in the offseason. Thus, Rubio seems to have proven that he was worth the sacrifice.
At $14,275,000 per year, Rubio’s salary is the second-highest on the team behind only Rudy Gobert. And this season, Rubio has been more reliable than Gobert, who missed a month with a knee injury midway through the season.
Rubio has proven to be one of Utah’s most valuable acquisitions of the offseason, and he appears to have thrived in Utah after spending the first six years of his career in Minnesota. Now, the Jazz will wait to see if Rubio continues to prove his worth in his first ever NBA playoff appearance this month.
