Report: Ex-Cavs guard to return to basketball after 1-season hiatus

After former Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio played in 18 combined EuroLeague and Liga ACB games with FC Barcelona in the 2023-24 season, he left the team following that campaign and took a year off from basketball.

However, Rubio is now set to return to basketball following his one-season hiatus. He reportedly is reuniting with Joventut Badalona — a team he played for before he was drafted in the 2009 NBA Draft — on a one-year deal.

“Ricky Rubio is officially back with Joventut Badalona, marking a heartfelt homecoming for the veteran point guard to his first team,” BasketNews reported. “Both sides agreed on a one-year contract.

“The 34-year-old playmaker returns to basketball after a one-season pause.

“In 2024, Rubio came back to European basketball for the first time since 2011, joining FC Barcelona in February after a break to focus on his mental health. He parted ways with the Spanish powerhouse at the end of that season.”

Rubio announced his retirement from the NBA back in early 2024 after he spent 12 seasons in the league. He and the Cavaliers came to an agreement to buy out his contract in the middle of the 2023-24 campaign, and Rubio cited that he’s stepping away from the team so he can focus on his mental health.

He got real as to why he left the Cavaliers and said that he was lying to himself by trying to stay positive.

“If you lie to yourself, it can catch up in a wrong way,” Rubio said at the time.

Ultimately, Rubio carved out a long and impressive NBA career even though he didn’t live up to the hype of being a top-five pick, and his trademark skill was his passing chops. Rubio averaged 7.4 assists per game for his career and dished out fewer than 5.0 assists per contest in just one of his seasons in the league.

Up until the end of his NBA tenure and even during his Cavs stint he was an effective playmaker. In his first season as a Cavalier, he ranked second on the team in assists per contest behind only guard Darius Garland, though it’s worth noting Rubio was limited to just 34 games played.

Cavaliers fans should fondly remember Rubio for his brief stint with the team and wish him all the best as he looks to continue his overseas career with Joventut Badalona.

Hopefully, Rubio will continue to show off his flair for playmaking in the coming season with his new team and is feeling much better from a mental standpoint than he was when he decided to call it quits on his NBA tenure.