The Timerbwolves' decision to trade Kevin Love to the Cavaliers was a culture-changing one, with several young players joining the team in the swap. When they arrive to training camp, they will join point guard Ricky Rubio, who played alongside Love for several years and remains one of the franchise cornerstones.
Rubio played with Spain in the FIBA World Cup in a complementary role. But he will take on a starring position when the NBA season starts. Rubio talked to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski about what he expects in the upcoming year, which will be Rubio's first without Love.
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Rubio did not have a conversation with Love prior to his decision to demand a trade, and he explained why.
"If he wanted to leave, there's no reason to talk to him about it," Rubio told Yahoo. "I really liked playing with him, but I'll play with the players who want to be there. Kevin wants to win. That's normal. He's been there six years without the playoffs. I understand. If I was in the same situation — being one of the best players in the league — and not being able to be in the playoffs, I'd have a lot of frustration, too.
"The last couple years there have been a lot of questions. It is hard — even if the team is good — the media always talks about it. You don't want to think about it, but everyone is always talking about your main guy this way. And it becomes harder to be focused.
"Right now, we have to play with the players we have."
The players the Wolves will have include Andrew Wiggins, Thad Young and Anthony Bennett, among others. There is promise on the roster, but the potential there will not show dividends in the form of wins for quite some time.
Before these additions were made, Rubio and Love played alongside one another for three seasons. Rubio is thankful for that.
"I have to be thankful for everything he did for me," Rubio told Yahoo. "Coming from Europe to the NBA, it is not easy. Having the superstar give you the head's-up on things, look out for you … I appreciate it.
"But in the end, it didn't work out and we move on. He's always going to be a great memory with me. Not just the way we played together, because it was fun but it's the way he accepted me from day one."
But while Love was steadfast in belief that he would happier elsewhere, Rubio is determined to remain committed to the Wolves.
"I'm loyal," Rubio told Yahoo. "I want to give them back what they gave me there: a lot of love."