Early last month, Cleveland Cavaliers veteran point guard Ricky Rubio announced that he would be taking a step back from basketball to focus on his mental health.
The basketball world rallied around the Spaniard in the aftermath of his announcement. There hasn’t been much reported about his status since then, and his future with the Cavs appears to be uncertain.
Rubio was reportedly the only member of the Cavs roster not to attend a recent get-together organized by the players.
“When Rubio made the decision to pause his career — and leave the Spanish National Team training camp ahead of the World Cup — he didn’t provide any clarity on how long he would be away,” wrote Chris Fedor. “The Cavs, who have said they will be supportive in any way they can while also providing Rubio the space he needs, don’t have any expectations on his availability for the start of the regular season. The opener is in about seven weeks. A source tells cleveland.com that Rubio was the only member of the roster who didn’t attend the recent player-organized pre-camp get-together. His absence was not a surprise, as he continues to make his mental health and well-being the top priority.”
The 32-year-old was expected to play a big role for Spain at the ongoing 2023 FIBA World Cup, which is set to conclude on Sunday. Spain struggled a bit without a key leader in Rubio, going 3-2 on its way to a disappointing ninth-place finish.
Rubio tore his ACL midway through the 2021-22 season and made his return to the court in January of 2023. He had some good games but also struggled a bit and finished the 2022-23 season with 33 appearances and averages of 5.2 points, 2.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game on 34.3 percent shooting from the field and 25.6 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
Earlier this offseason, the former first-round pick acknowledged that his days in the NBA are coming to an end. Perhaps he’s already played his final game in the league. The Cavs are surely hoping that isn’t the case, as they could definitely use him this coming season.
As of now, the Cavs only have one other point guard behind starter Darius Garland. That player is rookie Craig Porter Jr., who is currently on a two-way deal with the team. Two-way players can be active for 50 NBA games during the regular season and are ineligible to play in the playoffs.
Cleveland is coming off a 2022-23 season in which it won 51 games and made the playoffs for the first time since LeBron James left in 2018. Hopefully Rubio will be part of the team for this coming season, but the Cavs will undoubtedly support him no matter what route he decides to take.
