Ricky Rubio: ‘Utah has let me know that I am not a priority for them’

Ricky Rubio has been making the media rounds in Spain ever since the offseason began. While many didn’t believe Rubio would be in Utah’s long term plans, few expected Rubio to be as ... er ... open about that fact as well. Even when Derrick Favors found himself in the rumor mill, he and his agent kept a low profile because things can change really quickly. To a Spanish media outlet Ricky Rubio told them, “Utah has let me know that I am not a priority for them.”

This matches up with his recent comments saying he was jealous of Marc Gasol and how he was a big time contributor on an NBA Finals team.

While no one can blame Ricky for being miffed that he was in trade rumors, he ultimately was never traded. Utah fulfilled their commitment to him despite never landing Gordon Hayward and going through a mini-rebuild via Donovan Mitchell. It seems that when Rubio’s business partner dropped his instagram saying “Utah its been real,” he meant it.

While Rubio may not like how his time in Utah ended, he was able to get to the playoffs for the first time, play a leading role on a roster with “playoff aspirations.” Unfortunately for Rubio, that roster is looking to upgrade based on the demands of a modern NBA. Having a pass-first point guard who shoots 30% from three doesn’t quite meet those expectations. While that is never fun to be on the receiving end, it appears that Dennis Lindsey has been forthright with the Spanish point guard about Utah’s plans for the offseason.