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RUBIO DOES ABOUT FACE, SO FLYNN'S THE MAN IN MINNY

Well the suspense is over. Ricky Rubio will not be a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves (+15000 to win the NBA title at BetUS) this season.

Or next season either, in all probability.

Rubio, who has provided the big "cliffhanger" of the NBA off-season, will be playing for FC Barcelona in the EuroLeague for the next two seasons, after the team bought his contract from DKV Joventut for a reported $5.28 million.

If Rubio gets to Minneapolis in two years, there may be no room for him. David Kahn, the sportswriter who is the team's boss of basketball operations, thought he had actually made a deal with Joventut for Rubio. He had an intricate deal that involved the cooperation of several corporations in order to get around the half-million-dollar limit NBA team can actually pay an overseas team for buyouts, but Rubio changed his mind.


The Wolves also made a first-round selection out of Jonny Flynn, the Syracuse standout who went over to the Vegas summer league and put together some impressive numbers, scoring 15 points a game and handing out 7.4 assists. It seems they know what they were doing, even though they appeared not to on draft night. Minnesota will not lose Rubio's rights, so they get to see what Flynn will look like quarterbacking this team for the next couple of seasons, and they can move one of the two players if they have to.

More time abroad may give the 19-year-old time to work on those things NBA scouts cited as weaknesses, namely, his jump shot. So he'll be a more complete player once he comes stateside.

Minnesota has gotten a late start on a lot of things. Kevin McHale was fired as coach in June, but Kurt Rambis was not hired as the new coach until August 8.

Those of you evaluating the chances of the Houston Rockets (+3000 to win the NBA title at BetUS) are probably at least a little encouraged by the fact that Yao Ming is progressing swiftly after his foot surgery and may actually be able to get into the lineup at some point during the 2009-2010 season. According to Rockets GM Daryl Morey, "They (the team doctors) do know that the bone will heal and he'll get back on it. And they have not actually ruled out this season. I think that's less likely than likely, but they haven't ruled it out."

Morey added that the surgery was successful enough that the hairline fracture suffered by the seven-time All-Star center would not be career-threatening. Yao has been injured and missed significant time in each of the last five seasons, and he elected to have a procedure that would realign the bones in his foot so that future injuries have less of a chance of occurring.

The Boston Celtics (+400 to win the NBA title at BetUS) continue to rebuild their bench as they have signed Marquise Daniels to a free agent contract that is reportedly more than the $1.99 million exception allowed to NBA teams on a biannual basis. Daniels, at 6'6", is more of a swingman than anything else, and could be the first player off the bench to substitute for either small forward Paul Pierce or shooting guard Ray Allen. He made $6.37 million last season, and his agent said he was offered more money by other teams, but chose Boston because among the teams he was negotiating with, a group that included Charlotte, Dallas, Houston, New York, and Orlando, the Celtics were the team that he thought gave him the best chance to win a title.

This is a good pickup for Boston. Daniels averaged 13.6 points and 4.6 rebounds for the Indiana Pacers, and joins Rasheed Wallace in making this Celtics bench even deeper. Kevin Garnett is expected to come back healthy this season, and several players emerged in his absence in the playoffs, including Glen "Big Baby" Davis, who opted for free agency but then signed a two-year contract with the Celts three weeks ago.
Stephen Jackson was at a party for a shoe sponsor and was asked what he thought of the chances of his Golden State Warriors (+12500 to win the NBA title at BetUS). 'Um I don't think I'll be a Warrior next year. I'm looking to leave," was his response. So now the Warriors are trying to move him, although that will be a tall order, since he has four years and over $36 million remaining on his contract.
Jackson just doesn't like Don Nelson's system and doesn't see Golden State as a legitimate contender anytime soon. That means something, since he is arguably the player who gets the most respect among other players and is probably the best defender Nelson has at his disposal. Nelson is generally not too diplomatic in these situations, so expect the situation to get progressively more toxic.
Meanwhile, Stephen Curry, who may or not be a Golden State teammate of Jackson's, is working out feverishly in Charlotte, and speaking openly about a 20-point scoring average in his rookie season. His new personal trainer won't let him end any workout until he sinks ten consecutive three-pointers - from NBA range.
Tim Donaghy, the former NBA referee who was imprisoned on gambling-related charges, has been arrested again, this time for violating the terms of his probation. It seems Donaghy didn't show up for his job at a beverage company in Sarasota, Fla., which constitutes a violation. No, he wasn't at the dog track; he was at a health club getting some physical therapy, but the people at the halfway house say they didn't give him permission.
As of today, Allen Iverson is mulling an offer from the Memphis Grizzlies (+15000 to win the NBA title at BetUS) but would rather sign elsewhere. Who wouldn't?
Hey, which team is Quentin Richardson with THIS week?



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