I just went to see Inglourious Basterds, which I highly recommend if you haven't already seen it. If you have seen it, then you'll know that it's an exceptionally long movie. Nearly three hours, by my count. Well, during those nearly three hours that I spent fully engrossed in Nazi slaughter and blissfully unaware of the Knicks, it appears some hullabaloo started, and maybe even ended. Let's pick up the pieces. At around 8:30 p.m. (long before my movie started, I'm embarrassed to admit) Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune posted about the Ricky Rubio situation. A taste:
A league source tells me there’s plenty of talk floating that the Knicks again are pushing hard to deal for Rubio — probably with an assist from agent Dan Fegan — and there’s word of a Rubio for restricted free agent David Lee, Nate Robinson and a No. 1 pick deal.
Fair enough. I'd like to add, though, that this is the same Jerry Zgoda who, earlier today, tweeted rumblings of a trade rumor which he'd based off of this post from this fake Jonny Flynn Twitter account. Why do I say fake? Well, for one, I don't think the real Flynn would tweet this. For two, Donte Greene's warm welcome to Flynn's account used a different name. In any event, Zgoda's tweet has since been deleted. All I'm saying is that certain parties may have been a bit jumpy in the midst of a rollercoaster story that's unfolding, at least in part, across the Atlantic Ocean. These things happen. The point is that I'd like to see some more evidence before I buy that the Knicks have even considered dealing their two big-name free agents AND a future first-round pick for a single willowy Spaniard. Not that I don't love Rubio, because I do. But don't take it from me. Take it from Alan Hahn:
Three very trustworthy sources, however, shot down the rumor, which involved unsigned restricted free agents David Lee and Nate Robinson going to Minnesota along with a future first-rounder in a package for Rubio's rights.
Despite some obvious last-minute desperation by Rubio's camp to make something happen that would free Rubio to make the jump to the NBA this season, one source said the Knicks rumor was "way off" and indicated that Timberwolves GM David Kahn would be inclined to wait at least a season before he felt he had to make a decision on what to do with Rubio (this also gives him a year to watch Jonny Flynn and see what he has in him).
Now, everything's hearsay, so take it all with a grain of salt and stay vigilant. Absolutely anything can happen, despite the words of even the most trusted sources. And don't undervalue the hard work of all of these beat reporters. Shit, my only source is my amiable but tragically witless chocolate lab, and she's still convinced that the Knicks are chasing MJ. It's hard to say what actually goes on behind the scenes. I think I can assure you of this, though: during the two hours and thirty-two minutes I was devouring a divine combination of popcorn and peanut M&M's and enjoying a gem of a motion picture...pretty much nothing happened. Stay tuned, but also chill, please.
Update: Zgoda's follow-up article reels in the rumors a little bit.