Rubio To Endorse Land O’Lakes? It Could Happen
Since NBA Draft Day four weeks ago, all eyes have been on 18-year-old wunderkind, Ricky Rubio. But for some compelling backstage hustling, all eyes ought to be on Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations David Kahn, because that man is desperate and his desperation is becoming awesome.
Rubio doesn’t want to continue making pennies on Spain’s DVK Joventut squad (>$500K in two seasons), nor does he seem particularly interested in Kevin Garnett-ing his way through a handful of losing rebuilding seasons on the Minnesota T-Wolves. He wants to win and he wants to be paid handsomely for it.
The problem, like so many things, comes down to money. Rubio can’t escape his Spanish team unless he (or someone) buys out $6 million of his contract. That’s more money than he has, mostly because he has no money (relatively speaking). This is also why he won’t likely just sit out a year, away from all teams, and re-enter the draft next year.
If he stays and plays with Joventut … well, it just doesn’t look like that’s going to happen.
Minnesota’s president of basketball operations David Kahn would love to peel off a couple million-dollar bills (who’s face is on those? Taft? Wait, no. Hoover … oh, yeah. I forgot) and shove ‘em in DVK’s breast pocket. Unfortunately, NBA rules state that no franchise may pay more than $500K toward a buyout of another player.
Okay, so that leaves $5.5 million more to go. As was mentioned before, Kahn’s a hustler and what do hustlers do? Why, they hustle, of course.
From the Minneapolis Star Tribune:
The most likely way around Rubio’s buyout dilemma are commercial endorsements that could offset – and then some – the price Rubio must pay from his own pocket to earn his freedom.
A Spanish media report said Wednesday that Kahn went to Spain with a list of Minnesota companies willing to sign Rubio to endorsement deals for a sum totaling $4 million, which could pay all or most of a renegotiated deal with DKV Joventut.
I can only hope that list makes its way to public eyes eventually. I don’t doubt that Kahn went to bigger Minnesota-based corporations like Target or Land O’Lakes, but it’s much funnier to imagine Kahn scrounging up a list of companies like Mike’s Truck & Tow, The Honeypot Gentleman’s Club and Minnetonka Fish ‘n’ Tackle.
If there’s anything better than imagining how many of those types of places Kahn would have to rustle up to get $4 million-worth of endorsements, it’s imagining Rubio’s face when he realizes that he’s being presented with the option of leaving Spain for the U.S., where he’ll have to spend his free time shilling used Honda Civics in Shakopee.
Yeah, it might not make much sense for the non-English speaking Rubio to endorse … well, anything in Minnesota, really. But does it make sense for him to endorse Gillette (click pic at left) when the kid obviously has no reason to shave? Heck, while we’re at it, does it make much sense for the Wolves to scour the Land of 1,000 Lakes gathering buyout money for a player who doesn’t seem to want to be bought out by the team?
It’s likely that another European team like Madrid will buyout Rubio’s contract anyway. Then all Kahn will be left with is a $4 million loan that he’ll dejectedly blow in one night at The Honeypot.
…Which is still better than being involved with the Memphis Grizzlies.
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