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The Cleveland Cavaliers are nearing a deal to bring Ricky Rubio back to the franchise, according to Adrian Wojnarowski. Per Chris Haynes, it is a three-year deal worth $18.4 million. Rubio was traded to the Pacers this past season in the Caris LeVert deal.
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 is recovering from a torn ACL, but he clearly has value as a locker room presence for the Cavaliers. The organization is bringing him back after trading him while injured, and this contract suggests the Cavs are open to having Rubio along as the team nears contention status.
The guard is unlikely to take on heavy minutes in key games, with Darius Garland and LeVert being the primary backcourt pairing. The Cavaliers will also be giving rookie Ochai Agbaji a solid workload, so we’ll see if Rubio can crack the rotation. This is a nice, affordable deal for Cleveland and gives Rubio some security going forward.