Ricky Rubio is coming to the NBA, finally, allowing the Minnesota Timberwolves to start shopping Jonny Flynn and Luke Ridnour as the trade rumors will almost assuredly begin swirling through the 2011 NBA Draft on Thursday. The first team up, apparently, is the New York Knicks.
The Knicks have apparently initiated discussions with the Wolves in a swap of Flynn for scoring guard Toney Douglas, according to the New York Daily News. If not Flynn, the Knicks are also reportedly interested in former Minnesota point guard Ramon Sessions.
It would seem like there has to be more pieces for the deal to make sense for either team, but if it was a straight one-for-one deal, the Wolves would save $2 million in salary next season while adding a player who is able to create his own shot off the dribble.
The one noticeable downside, as the Daily News reports, is that Douglas (like Flynn) might not be completely healthy.
Toney Douglas would likely be the player traded for Flynn. However, Douglas is coming off major shoulder surgery, which in theory would make him tough to deal. But Flynn is a similar medical risk. The 6-foot guard out of Syracuse had hip surgery last July and was limited to 53 games in his second year, not including a stint in the D-League.
Either way, it's pretty likely the Wolves are going to be shopping Flynn even if this deal with the Knicks doesn't go through. Hopefully Rubio adjusts quickly.