3 non-trade options the Cavs should consider replacing Ricky Rubio with
By Chad Porto
The Cavs have lost Ricky Rubio for the season.
The worst fears were realized this evening when the Cavs found out one of their key pieces for the season has been lost. Ricky Rubio is out for the year with a torn left ACL. The injury usually takes 6-9 months to rehab and recover from, though more complicated cases could see 12-16 months. It’s unknown how long Rubio’s injury will take to heal, and considering Rubio was in a contract year and playing well enough to get another big-time deal, the injury couldn’t have come at a worse time.
The Cavs should absolutely still re-sign him. ACL injuries are no longer the career-ender they used to be 20 years ago and there is absolutely full confidence that he’ll return to form, barring any unforeseen issues.
Until the Cavs know the extent of the damage and how long he’ll be out for, they need to secure their lineups with some depth. We’ll go more into the idea of trading in another article but right now we’re looking for the most urgent options available for the Cavs in the immediate.
The loss of Rubio can’t be replaced, not completely, but maybe the Cavs can find an option who can do something akin to what Rubio was capable of, without blowing up their team. That’s a near-impossible feat, granted, but the Cavaliers can’t afford to go into 2022 without a real backup point guard.
Rubio was easily one of the front-runners for Sixth Man of the Year and his game with Kevin Love was exceptional. Both veterans were dominating the bench units of other teams, and without Rubio, that effectiveness may be in doubt. The team has to consider both short-term and long-term options for Rubio’s replacement.
These are the short-term options, the names the Cavs can pursue with little cost to themselves and could fill a gap until a more long-term option becomes available; if one is needed after one of these moves.