Assuming the Kings want Rubio, I think they’ll get him because A) it makes the most economic sense for Rubio to be a King B) he has the leverage to make it happen and C) It’s going to be to hard for him to get to NY even though NY is closer to Spain then Sacramento.  Let’s face it because Rubio is currently under contract in Europe he has all the leverage in the world to make Memphis or OKC blink and not want to pick him.  Usually when one has leverage they use it, and why not?  Think about it.  He’d be foolish not to use it to get what he wants; especially if he has to pay for it out of his own pocket by buying out his current contract with his own money.  Remember this is a business and players are going to do what’s best for them professionally and economically and going to Memphis or OKC doesn’t make much business sense for him both professionally and economically if you ask me.

Once Rubio finishes visiting Memphis, OKC, Sacramento and NY we’ll get a better feel for which team he would prefer to play for.    Right now it’s like a game of poker and everyone is trying to figure out what the other player has and which player is bluffing.  But since the river card has not been turned over yet, no one really knows what they have.  The river card being the wild card … the Rubio card.   What team needs and wants Rubio the most?  Well, all of them of course.  But what team will he play for?  My guess is it’s not Memphis or OKC but NY or Sacramento. 

NY would be his first option but the likely hood of that happening is slim to none because NY has the 8th pick and they would have to pay to steep of a price to get him.  Sacramento on the other hand has the best shot at getting him with the 4th pick and they wouldn’t have to pay too much to get him like other teams would.

If Petrie blinks just a little (...and he will blink) and lets Rubio’s agent know that he needs and wants Rubio, then I suspect Rubio’s agent will get to work and start to play hardball with Memphis and OKC, and do the dirty work to get him to Sacramento, and Petrie will sit back and take all the glory. 

Once word gets out that Rubio would prefer Sacramento do you think Memphis or OKC will draft him?  If they do and they call his bluff and he stays in Europe; he would make life a living hell for them.  Neither Memphis nor OKC can ill afford to waste a draft pick and put themselves in that type of situation.

The only way Memphis or OKC pick Rubio is if they are going to trade him and if they are going to trade him, who are they going to trade with?  Whomever, it is it’s going to have to be with a team that he wants to play for.   No team in their right mind would trade up to get Rubio unless they were absolutely sure that he would play for them.   For a team to trade up to get him it will be costly, too costly.  Is he worth it?   Who knows?  All I can say is its to risky of a business decision to make, to trade up and give away a proven asset(s), to get an unproven NBA commodity, especially for one that may or may not play for you.

Rubio is sitting on a two edge sword.  On one hand he does not want to go to Memphis or OKC and on the other hand he wants to be the 2nd, 3rd or 4th pick in the draft so that he can make more money.    The higher in the draft he goes the more he’ll make.  Given the limited number of options Rubio has, the Kings appear to be the front runner because it makes the most economic sense for him to try and play for them.  Unlike Memphis or OKC the Kings need a guard and he’d get more playing time in Sacramento then he would in either Memphis or OKC.  Also, there’s a large Latino population in and around Sacramento and California that would embrace him and buy his shoes and listen to his good feet commercials.  And last but not least Sacramento has more International appeal then Memphis or OKC.  In Europe Sacramento is well known and respected thanks to Vlade, Peja, Hedo and C-Webb putting Sacramento on the map years ago.  Memphis on the other hand has a bad rap in Spain because of the Pau Gasol and Juan Carlos Navarro situations (both of whom are also from Spain).  Don’t think for a second that these guys haven’t talked to Rubio and their advice to him… Stay the hell away from Memphis.  As far as him ending up in OKC… forget about it.  OKC hurt themselves for the Rubio sweepstakes when they moved from Seattle.  Most Europeans haven’t a clue were OKC is on the map and they don’t want to know.  Plus, Rubio doesn’t want to compete with Westbrook for playing time.

So, if you really look at all the different trade scenarios the most likely and easiest deal for his agent to pull off would be for Rubio to come to Sacramento.  Either he falls into the Kings lap at #4, or Memphis or OKC will trade down with the Kings.   It’s a win, win, win situation for everyone if either Memphis or OKC trade down a notch with the Kings.  By trading down with the Kings, either Memphis or OKC would still get a  player they want,  for a lesser price … plus they would get an extra one of the Kings assets, Rubio would get what he wants (more fame and fortune and more playing time) and more important the Kings would get their man.

I predicted early on that Rubio would enter the draft because of economic and business reasons and I predict that he’ll be a King because of economic and business reasons.