Cleveland Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations, Koby Altman, has provided an update on Ricky Rubio, after the veteran point guard was absent from the team's media day.
At the beginning of August, Rubio indefinitely put his career on hold so that he could focus on his mental health, subsequently sitting out of the FIBA World Cup, which Germany won. But while his absence from the Cavs is ongoing, Altman suggested there is hope that he will return to the team at some point.
According to Chris Fedor, Koby Altman said that the Cavs have not discussed the topic of retirement with Rubio, and that they are hopeful he will rejoin the team during the 2023-24 season.
The Cavs will enter the 2023-24 season with high hopes after a year of significant improvement which saw them jump from outside the playoffs to fourth in the Eastern Conference with 51 wins. Rubio didn't play a huge role in that improvement – he played just 33 games and in those averaged 17.2 minutes, 5.2 points and 3.5 assists – but has the potential to provide a very high-quality backup for Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell, who will occupy the back court starting spots.
Since joining the Cavaliers in 2021, things haven't gone entirely to plan for Ricky Rubio, with only 34 games coming in his first season before those 33 he managed in 2022-23. But two seasons ago he showed that in his 30s, he's still a very capable NBA player, averaging 13.1 points and 6.6 assists. With Garland continuing to develop and Mitchell now on the team, the Cavs don't necessarily need that level of productivity from the Spanish guard, but if he reaches a stage with his mental health where playing is a realistic possibility, it will unequivocally make them a better team.
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