Ricky Rubio is thinking about retirement but not for the reason you think

Fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers shouldn’t be worried about Ricky Rubio retiring.

Ricky Rubio is looking forward to life without basketball apparently. The point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers is 31-years-old and is on the mend following an ACL injury that sidelined his season. The unrestricted-free-agent-to-be is thinking about his future apparently and he knows retirement isn’t too far off.

Though it has nothing to do with his knee.

Speaking to La Vanguarida (via EuropHoops and HoopsWire), Rubio told the Spanish outlet that basketball won’t matter nearly as much when his son starts school; in four years.

"When my son starts school, the NBA will not be worth it. I will have to go back (to Spain). I don’t want to make him dizzy moving around when he’s six-years old, at the age of starting to make friends."

For those who don’t know, Rubio’s son is currently only two. So unless things change, it does seem like Rubio has at least another three or four years left to play. By the time his son is old enough to go to school, Rubio will be 35-36, so it won’t be hard to fathom him wanting to retire or go back to the Euroleague at that age.

Ricky Rubio is not bothered that he was hurt playing with the Cleveland Cavaliers

As for Rubio’s injury, he has no regrets.

"I’ve been injured, what can you do? You have to put things in perspective."

He’s even aware that due to his history in the league, and his contract, the rumors of being traded will undoubtedly crop up again.

"I’ve gotten used to it. When February approaches, the rumors about a Ricky Rubio trade start."

This is where the rubber meets the road, so to speak. If Rubio is traded the Cavs can’t simply bring him back. They’re over the salary cap already, and that’s before the deals for Rubio and Collin Sexton get extended, if they get extended at all. Even if you trade away their combined deals, that’s about $30 million you’re going to be taking back.

The only way the Cleveland Cavaliers can re-sign Rubio is through his Bird Rights, which allow a team to re-sign a player if they’re already over the cap. A player with Bird Rights retains them as long as they never hit free agency. So if they work out a new deal before it expires, they earn Bird Rights. If a player is traded within the length of their contract, they again retain those Bird Rights.

Rubio would lose those rights, and the Cavaliers’ ability to re-sign him by proxy, if they trade him and the team that he goes to doesn’t re-sign him. So if you’re of the mindset to “trade him and re-sign him in free agency”, then you’re out of luck.