It’s no secret that Ricky Rubio initially wasn’t thrilled about landing with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Back in September, the Cavs newcomer made it pretty clear that he was hoping to land with a contending team. At the time, not many folks thought the Cavs were going to fit that description in the 2021-22 season.
"I wish and I can hope I can play for a team one day that's playing for a championship right away. That's not the case right now but I want to help this team get there someday."
Ricky Rubio on being traded to the Cavaliers and not a contender.
— Evan Dammarell (@AmNotEvan) September 9, 2021
It sounds like Rubio wasn’t the only one who originally found his fit with the Cavs to be suboptimal. According to a report, teams around the NBA “thought he was going to negotiate a buyout.” In the case of a buyout, the Golden State Warriors reportedly would have been interested in adding Rubio to pair him with Stephen Curry.
“In fact, the perception of the Cavs around the NBA at the time was so poor — and Rubio, at this stage of his career, seemed like such an odd fit for a rebuilding Cleveland franchise — that other teams thought he was going to negotiate a buyout,” wrote Joe Vardon and Kelsey Russo of The Athletic. “The Golden State Warriors, sources say, were keenly interested in Rubio hitting the market and partnering him with Stephen Curry.”
Rubio, of course, seems like a much better fit with the Cavs today than he did a few months ago. The veteran has made a massive impact for Cleveland this season and has had a huge hand in the team’s 13-11 start.
Meanwhile, things are going just fine for the Warriors, who are currently tied with the Phoenix Suns for the NBA’s best record. Golden State is 19-4 on the season, and Curry has been largely unstoppable.
Both the Cavs and Warriors are hoping to keep things rolling and ultimately make some noise in the playoffs this season.
