Rubio: Jazz 'let me know that I am not priority No. 1'
The Utah Jazz are entering a crucial offseason as they look to build around their star duo of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. According to starting point guard Ricky Rubio, it's increasingly unlikely that he'll be part of that future.
"(Utah has) let me know that I am not priority No. 1. Then, we have to look for other options," Rubio said on Catalunya Radio, according to a translation from The Salt Lake Tribune's Eric Walden.
The Jazz acquired Rubio from the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2017, and the Spaniard played a key role in helping Utah reach the playoffs in both years of his tenure.
The unselfish point guard seamlessly fit alongside Mitchell, allowing his star teammate to initiate the offense as a score-first option while he took a backseat despite being at his best as a playmaker.
The Jazz may aim to improve their perimeter shooting in the backcourt, as Rubio connected on just 33.2 percent of his attempts from 3-point range with Utah, averaging 3.6 attempts per game.
Rubio remains among the best passers in the NBA and an underrated defender. He averaged 12.7 points, 6.1 assists, and 1.3 steals in 68 games in the 2018-19 season.