The Minnesota Timberwolves and point guard Ricky Rubio appear to remain far apart as they work toward a contract extension.
While the Wolves have said they're not in a rush and are optimistic a deal will get done, the figures reported Tuesday morning indicate that there's a lot of negotiating left to be done:
Fegan/Jarinn Akana will gladly extend for the max. #twolves RT @2_Shoe: @DarrenWolfson any indication of Rubio reluctance to re-sign w/ MN?
— Darren Wolfson (@DarrenWolfson) September 23, 2014
Re: Rubio, @Adam_Kuhn @2_Shoe - #Twolves would do a 4-yr deal in $42M range. That hasn't changed. Agents see NYK/LAL w/ cap space next year.
— Darren Wolfson (@DarrenWolfson) September 23, 2014
That's a pretty significant gap, considering a max extension would include a fifth year and be worth upwards of $84 million.
Should the sides not come to an agreement by Oct. 31, the Spanish point guard would enter next summer as a restricted free agent, a proposition that may not appeal to Rubio's camp. The point guard market isn't expected to be deep next summer, but there aren't a lot of teams who look like they'll have a need, either. Furthermore, Eric Bledsoe's summer stands as a cautionary tale when considering playing the RFA game.
Rubio's value is also somewhat difficult to peg down. The point guard position is deep, which should serve to depress prices, and Rubio has some warts. Namely, he's a poor shooter and struggles to finish at the rim, areas it's unclear if he'll iron out. He's just 23 years old, though, and is already an effective defender and creator.
Four years and $42 million sounds like the right kind of number given the age, strengths, weaknesses, and risks assumed by Minnesota on such a deal, but the agent's job isn't to get a fair deal, it's to get the most money possible. Playing the year out and holding firm for the max may work out in the end, but it's a risky move if the reported figures are on the table.