Over the summer, Ricky Rubio stepped away from the Cleveland Cavaliers in order to address some mental health issues. On Thursday, his time with the Cavs came to an end.

The Cavs and Rubio have agreed to on a contract buyout, ending the 12-year veteran's time in the NBA, first reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Rubio missed time each of the last two seasons while recovering from an ACL injury suffered in 2021.

With $6.1 million left on his contract this season and $6.4 million for the 2024-25 season, the Cavs now open up a roster spot and some financial flexibility moving forward after agreeing to this buyout with Rubio. Cleveland currently has 13 players on their active roster, Tristan Thompson owning a partially guaranteed deal and sharpshooter Sam Merrill owning a non-guaranteed contract.

After news of the buyout broke, Rubio took to social media and officially announced his retirement from the NBA. In a farewell letter to the fans, Rubio cited that his NBA career “has come to an end” and that he hopes to one day share his mental health troubles with everyone when the time is right.

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Originally drafted fifth overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2009, Rubio has spent time with four different franchises, five if you count his short stint with the Indiana Pacers, where he did not play in a single game. Rubio will always be remembered as one of the two guards Minnesota selected ahead of future Hall of Fame point guard Stephen Curry, perhaps one of the biggest “what if” storylines pertaining to the draft.

In 2005, Rubio began his professional career with DKV Joventut in Spain at just 14 years old, making him the youngest player to have ever debuted in the Spanish ACB League. From there, he went on to play for FC Barcelona before joining the Timberwolves in 2011. Rubio helped Barcelona claim the 2010 EuroLeague championship.

Always known for being a sustainable playmaker and facilitator on the perimeter, Ricky Rubio ends his NBA career averaging 10.8 points, 7.4 assists, and 1.8 steals per game over the course 698 total games.