Phoenix is thirsty for a point guard. Desperate. They needed a floor general to feed Deandre Ayton inside and take some of the playmaking load off Devin Booker.
Enter Ricky Rubio.
In maybe the first real surprise of free agency, Rubio is headed to Phoenix. Most sources had him headed to Indiana, but the Pacers struck a deal for Malcolm Brogdon, and Rubio is going to the Valley of the Suns. Shams Charania of The Athletic broke the story.
Free agent Ricky Rubio agreed three-year, $51 million deal with the Phoenix Suns, agent Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management says.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2019
While fans think of Rubio as a guy without a jump shot, and it’s not consistent, he is one of the better floor generals in the game today. He defends well, makes the smart — and occasionally spectacular — pass, and he averaged 12.7 points and 6.1 assists per game last season. He’s a considerable upgrade over what the Suns had, and that is about the going rate for a starting point guard.
Rubio makes the Suns better. How much better (in a deep West) will depend more on the development of players around Rubio in Phoenix, but the Suns will be better.