Ricky Rubio safe bet in NBA free agency for Pelicans’ point guard rotation

Jrue Holiday has expressed his desire to play shooting guard. By relinquishing the main ball handling duties, he can focus his energy elsewhere. If signed in NBA free agency, could Ricky Rubio be the priced-right, pass-first point guard needed to satisfy the New Orleans Pelicans’ star?

Next season will be Ricky Rubio’s ninth in the NBA. He has gone on record stating he was told by the Utah Jazz he is not an off-season priority.  This opens the door for the New Orleans Pelicans to try to add Rubio via NBA free agency this summer.

It has been a while since Rubio was the hyped, young, European sensation he was when he came into the league. The kid with passing vision a decade beyond his age, Rubio was Luka Doncic before Doncic could dribble a ball.

Rubio can handle a ball and find a pass. But he did not become a global star, because he never developed a jumper. He has a .388% career field goal percentage, with a .322% mark from three point range.

Rubio started in Minnesota where he never averaged less than 7.3 assists per game, which came in a shortened second season. Every other year in Minnesota, he averaged close to nine per game.

Rubio rebounds well for his position and can work his way into the occasional easy layup. His turnover average is high for the slower paced teams Rubio led, but likewise, so are his assist numbers.

Utah used Rubio a bit differently, since their plan revolved around Donovan Mitchell. Rubio’s shooting numbers went up as he got cleaner looks. His assist rate went down as expected. Rubio still worked for the same rebounds and steals, showing he would not disengage when not directly involved.

Rubio earned his playoff chops this past season. Squaring off against James Harden seemed to bring the best out of him. That new desire after experiencing winning seasons would be infectious in the Pelicans’ locker room.

Holiday thrived on the playoff atmosphere. Rubio could bring the same energy, helping to facilitate the offense initially. He could then run off screens in search of layups and dump off assists.

Rubio is not the biggest free agent point guard on the market. However, he might be the most available and accepting of the type of role and contract the Pelicans would likely offer. Rubio would be in a battle with Elfrid Payton or maybe Lonzo Ball for the starting point guard spot.

Even if he lost out, the New Orleans Pelicans could find him almost 30 minutes a game. His defense next to Holiday would warrant trying the pairing for extended minutes. Rubio can run an effective pick and roll, and does not care about being the focus of the spotlight. That’s a feature, not a bug, for New Orleans.

Rubio, on an affordable contract, would be a useful asset for any future trades. His last contract was four years long, worth $55 million. He won’t be getting quite that on his next contract. A three year deal for $35 million would suffice, presumably.

Rubio would then be entering his 30’s, along with Holiday. Zion would be entering his prime with two sage guards to get him the ball, if both were re-signed to new contracts.

The New Orleans Pelicans could chase Rubio and still afford Julius Randle should he want to stick around. Zion would be surrounded by a mix of NBA experiences in his first couple of seasons. The Pelicans would get a chance to build up the culture around two young big men with All-Star potential.

The New Orleans Pelicans would also have a fluid financial situation going into Zion’s second contract if they were to offer Ricky Rubio a deal like this. As the summer approaches, we’ll keep you up to date on all NBA free agency news and hypotheticals as we go.