Cavs, Ricky Rubio agree to three-year, $18.4M deal

Ricky Rubio is headed back to Cleveland. Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Cavaliers, Ricky Rubio agree to three-year, $18.4 million deal

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 7/1/22

Less than five months after being traded away, Ricky Rubio is headed back to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Free agent guard Ricky Rubio has reached an agreement with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a three-year, $18.4 million deal, league sources tell @YahooSports.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 1, 2022

Rubio played an immense role in the Cavaliers torrid start to the season a year ago before tearing his left ACL. Cleveland traded him to Indiana as an expiring contract at deadline, but both sides were hopeful a reunion could happen -- and now it will on a new multi-year deal. https://t.co/zny6YjZGWR
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

In 34 games (eight starts) last season with the Cavaliers before his injury, Rubio averaged a career-high 13.1 points to go along with 6.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 28.5 minutes per game and a .363/.339/.854 shooting line. Rubio led Cleveland with his steals average and was second only behind Darius Garland in assists per contest.

Since spending his first six seasons in the NBA with the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2011 to 2017 — playing three years with current Cavaliers big man Kevin Love — the 31-year-old has been a bit of a journeyman in the league. Rubio suited up for the Utah Jazz during the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 campaigns (making his first two playoff appearances,) played one season with the Phoenix Suns and returned to the Timberwolves for the 2020-2021 season.

The Spaniard was traded from Minnesota to Cleveland in August 2021 before being sent to the Indiana Pacers in February. Rubio's move to Indiana happened after his season-ending ACL tear, and he didn't end up playing for the Pacers.

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