Spanish star Ricky Rubio’s move to the NBA has been complicated by his sliding to fifth in the draft, but the only options he’s currently considering are playing in Minnesota or returning to DKV Joventut, sources said on Tuesday.

Had Rubio been a top three pick, he could have more easily afforded to pay Joventut to release him, a source said. But the difference in salary between third and fifth in the draft is roughly $600,000 a year. Joventut reportedly is asking for no less than $4 million for his release.

Going to another European team is not a realistic option because that team would want a long-term commitment from Rubio and his desire remains to play in the NBA, a source said. Whether he can do that next season or when his Joventut contract expires two years from now is the question.

In any case, Rubio apparently has no objections to playing in Minnesota.

“This isn’t about Minnesota,” a source said. “It’s about the buyout.”

From Jerry Zgoda/Star Tribune:
Here’s a couple quick things David Kahn had to say by text message from Vegas this afternoon on these two most pressing matters:

Regarding meetings yesterday involving him, Wolves owner Glen Taylor and agent Dan Fegan — he and Fegan met twice, once with Taylor there –  he called them “merely an opportunity for me to introduce the two of them to each other, nothing more.”

He also said he will finish his first round of coaching interviews with two tomorrow and said he still has no timetable for naming a new head coach.

Representatives for Ricky Rubio met with Minnesota owner Glen Taylor and team president David Kahn on Monday. While the discussions were amicable, the biggest obstacle preventing Rubio from playing with the Timberwolves continues to be his complicated buyout with his Spanish club. According to sources, DKV Joventut is holding firm on $4.9 million while Rubio is only interested in paying about $3 million.

“If he had to pay [the $4.9 million],” a source close to the situation said, “it would be like he was playing his first two years [in the NBA] for free.”

League rules prevent Minnesota from contributing more than $500,000 to the buyout, so all the Timberwolves can do is be supportive. However, it is looking more and more like Rubio will be playing in Europe next season, likely on a one-year contract.

“It’s a big number,” Kahn said. “It is a challenge. To the extent that we can be helpful and supportive, that’s what we will do.”

Still more gamesmanship: Point guard Ricky Rubio’s DKV Joventut Spanish team might trade the Timberwolves’ top draft pick to the Spanish Regal Barca team, for which he would be committed for two years, the Barcelona “Sport” newspaper reports. As part of the deal, Regal Barca would pay Joventut $4.2 million.
GAME 1: Minnesota Timberwolves (0-2) 91, NBADL Select Team (1-0) 96

STUDS: Jonny Flynn may be a little undersized at the point – his 6’0” listing is extremely generous, but his quickness and court vision were on display in the first game of the day. His 12 points and 14 assists were impressive, as was the shooting of backcourt mate Wayne Ellington, who scored a game-high 22 points on 8-14 shooting. Ellington needed a strong showing after going 2-for-12 in his first summer league game.

Oleksiy Pecherov looked winded at times, but he certainly filled the stat sheet, recording 15 points and 10 rebounds while hitting 3-of-4 from three.

Rodney Halprin/NBADraft.net on yesterday’s game against the D-League Select Team:
Jonny Flynn (12 pts 14 ast 6 TO) tried to spark his teammates to begin the fourth with mixed results. A few handling errors after good looks from Flynn prolonged the T-Wolves comeback. Flynn totaled 7 assists in the fourth, however a carrying violation, reaching foul and a TO in the last 10 seconds cost his team the chance to tie the game. Flynn’s 14 assists (would’ve broken he old SL record) is a positive sign for the Timberwolves however 6 TO, particularly the one which sealed the game is concerning.

Wayne Ellington was on fire in the first half bouncing back nicely from a horrible (2-12) shooting performance yesterday (22 pts 8/14 fg).

It’s hard to believe Oleksiy Pecherov played in 32 games last season for the Washington Wizards, although in five of those games Pech only clocked 1 minute per (and scored a 3 in that one minute against Miami).

Now Pech, Etan Thomas, and Darius Songaila are in Minnesota, and of the three of them, Pech is the only one on the Timberwolves’ Summer League team.  The Summer League T-wolves, now 0-2 on the season, aren’t quite getting it done, but Pech picked up 15 points and 10 rebounds in their last game Monday afternoon in a loss to the D-League Select Team
The Timberwolves are set to embark on the 2009 U.S. Bank/Minnesota Timberwolves Summer Caravan, which will hit the road on Wednesday, July 29 and make stops in Rochester, St. Cloud and Duluth. Wolves forwards Corey Brewer and Ryan Gomes will headline this summer’s Caravan events. Over the past 19 years, the Timberwolves Caravan has made 88 stops across Minnesota and the upper Midwest.