Ricky

Rubio

Rubio has been away from the team all season to work on his mental health, and Woj reports that if he plays professionally again, it will likely be in Spain. The buyout has no ramifications for fantasy hoops.

Rubio, who stepped away from basketball in early August to address mental health issues, has not appeared in a game for the Cavaliers this season. With the team’s injury report loaded with names, flexibility is potentially needed to add to the roster. Since Rubio has yet to appear in a game this season, his leaving the franchise would not significantly impact fantasy basketball.

There’s no timeline for Rubio, and there shouldn’t be one for mental health. He’ll take all the time that he needs. He was set to lead the Spanish National Team in the World Cup this month. He also has two years remaining on his current deal with the Cavaliers.

Jerome was a solid depth piece for the Warriors last season, and his play earned him a two-year deal with Cleveland. He’ll compete with Ricky Rubio for the backup point guard role behind Darius Garland, which won’t leave much of an opportunity for him to impact fantasy hoops.

Both Cleveland and Orlando will be without their usual starters in this game, which leaves plenty of room for fantasy value. Rubio should be set up for plenty of assists and steals, while Osman should take on a large portion of the scoring load.

Garland is on the lengthy list of Cavaliers ruled out for Thursday’s game, with Cleveland now locked into its seed and first-round matchup for the NBA Playoffs. Ricky Rubio and Raul Neto will handle the point guard duties in some capacity in Orlando, making both players worthwhile streamers in leagues that are still active.

As a result of yet another injury update for Rubio, Caris LeVert should handle big backcourt minutes off the bench.

Rubio has logged at least 20 minutes in each of his last four contests, and he’s been serviceable in deeper leagues. Cleveland has Donovan Mitchell back for this one too, meaning Jarrett Allen will be the only Cav on the sidelines tonight.

Unsurprisingly, Rubio will sit the second night of a back-to-back. Caris LeVert should be the primary playmaker off the bench, with Donovan Mitchell back in the lineup.

Garland wasn’t on the initial injury report, but he was added Friday morning. He led Cleveland with 25 points in a win over the Heat on Wednesday, but they may be without him for their second straight game in Miami. If that’s the case, Ricky Rubio will likely get the start at point guard, where he will be an excellent source of assists and steals. Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert will also see a boost in playmaking opportunities if Garland isn’t able to suit up.