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When the Minnesota Timberwolves selected Rubio with the 5th overall pick in this years draft they had to be expecting this. Why else would they draft another point guard (Jonny Flynn) with the very next pick 6th overall. On Tuesday, the 19-year old Rubio said that a move to the NBA would be too risky and complicate his life, so he wants to keep playing in Spain for a couple more years. Another big factor was a 5 million dollar buyout clause in his contract with his current team, DKV Joventut. NBA guidelines limit the amount of money Minnesota could have contributed to Rubio’s buyout at $500,000. That means that Rubio would have had to pay the rest in his own money, something that he was hesitant to do. “They could only put half a million into it, and I think that the deal with Minnesota had too many obstacles,” Rubio said.

David Kahn, Timberwolves president, said a package of endorsement deals and sponsorships had helped make the NBA deal attractive enough for Rubio and Joventut to enter into an agreement on Saturday, but in the end it just wasn’t enough. Kahn was in Spain on three occasions trying to make a deal that would work for all parties and though he had figured one out before Rubio made up his mind. Rubio said, “Going to Minnesota would have just complicated my life a lot. It was a risk and I didn’t see it so clearly. My priority was the NBA and it was impossible for the Minnesota Timberwolves to pay my buyout clause, so I wanted to stay home.” He does still plan on going to the NBA in a couple years and a trade to the Spanish side Barcelona, who paid the $5 million buyout, will make it a lot easier in the future. Under his new contract with Barcelona he can leave for the NBA after two years with no buyout. He’ll still be only 21-years-old by then and probably a more well rounded player. The Timberwolves don’t really need him this year anyway and he will still be young when he does come, so I don’t know if they are too disappointed.

Image source: AP

Quote source: Yahoo sports

The San Antonio Spurs got a little younger and more dangerous on Tuesday.  In a 4-player deal involving the Milwaukee Bucks, the Spurs will receive Richard Jefferson for three aging bench players with expiring contracts (Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas, and Fabricio Oberto).  The Bucks were just looking to get rid of the $29.2 million still owed to Jefferson in the last two years of the contract.  They needed that money to sign other important players that are in the last years of their current contracts.  Because of this, the Spurs were able to come in and get Jefferson, a versatile wingman who averaged 19.6 points last year, for almost nothing.  Well, if you call $29.5 million over the next two years nothing!  The deal makes the Spurs a threat in the strong West again as they lost in the first round last year.  It gives them a formidable core of Jefferson, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili.  I’d say that’s a pretty good team and probably second only to the Lakers out West.  And, as a Laker fan, I have to admit that it’s going to be different not seeing Bruce there to guard Kobe.  Though I hated him, he made the games more fun to watch and I enjoyed the intensity between the two.  He was getting old and last season he was no where near the player that he used to be so a change was needed.

In another trade in the NBA, the Minnesota Timberwolves gave themselves some good leverage and ammunition for another big deal on draft day tomorrow.  The T-Wolves traded Randy Foye and Mike Miller to the Washington Wizards for their number one draft pick (5th overall) and three others.  This gives the T-Wolves four first round draft picks (5th,6th,18th,28th) and frees up some cap space.  There is talk that they will use some of those picks to move higher in the draft or trade for another quality player.  We’ll have to wait and see what they do tomorrow.  The Wizards, on the other hand, get an up-and-coming point guard in Foye and a great shooter in Miller.  They believe that their team already has a good core of players and the only reason for the bad year was injury.  Coming back next year will be Gilbert Arenas, a former All-Star who missed all last season with a knee injury.  They believe that’s like getting a top 5 pick in the draft.  I think the Wizards will be a lot better next year if he can come back as the same player he was.

Photo Source: AP Photo

Do you see that man to your left? That is what lucky, blessed and HOW IN THE H… looks like. Yes, I know, not a pretty face.

Now, do you see the picture below? I’m sure she looks more familiar, being it’s supermodel Adriana Lima.

Anyways, hearts crashed around the world as she and the funny looking guy above, Minnesota Timberwolves bench warmer Marko Jaric, have just tied the knot. Yep, sorry ladies, Marko is now a married man. Retract those claws.

Next up, the Apocalypse.

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This week in sports blogs and news:

• Charles Barkley gets a DUI - Fox Sports
• Khloe Kardashian hooks up with Timberwolves’ Rashad McCants - SportsByBrooks
• Kirilenko’s flop may be the best every - Larry Brown Sports
• What is Bryant Gumble wearing - The Sports Hernia
• Student Athletes not allowed to sell merchandise on their blog - The Big Lead
• Tim Tebow apparently is an offensive lineman for Cincinnati - Awful Announcing

YouTube - Watch 

This week on the Smarter Sports Blog we covered:

• “I’m trying to watch the game Jeff”
• Face Slap: Jeffrey Lurie High Fives the Face
• Come Home! Baron Davis Wants to Go Back to the Warriors
• A Year to Remember: Your Favorite Moment of 2008
• Happy New Year from the Smarter Sports Blog!!!
  

Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, the new faces of the Boston Celtics, now have their new jersey available for purchase.

Garnett, who originally wore number 21 in Minnesota, switched over to number five since joining the Celtics and it is now available for $49.99.

And his new partner, Ray Allen’s jersey, is going for the same price, $49.99.

And here’s another deal you can take advantage of. From now and until August 31, you can take 15% off any purchase in the NBA Store, including these jerseys.

Click here to save today.

Kevin Garnett’s deal to the Boston Celtics is likely to become official when he is announced at a press conference today at 5:30 p.m. ET.

The Celtics and the Minnesota Timberwolves have been working out all the kinks of the deal that would send the 10-time All-Star out east. And the Timberwolves seem to have gotten quite a package in the deal.

In the trade, sources say that the Timberwolves will be getting Al Jefferson, Theo Ratliff, Gerald Green, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, and a pair of 2009 first round draft picks.

The deal immediately makes the Celtics a contender in the weak Eastern Conference. Starting alongside Garnett will be Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, who was acquired in a draft day trade.

It’s like they have their own little mini All-Star team going over there.

I’ve never been the biggest Celtics fan, but I hope this makes them a contender again. For a team with so much tradition and history I kind of want them to start winning. Especially for those three guys who have been around for so long and who have always been good role models.

Garnett posted 22.4 points and 12.8 rebounds a game last year and will definately help the Celtics improve from their 24-58 record last year.

Source: Fox Sports
Photo Source: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen