Cleveland guard Ricky Rubio is ‘starting to consider’ his return to his beloved Barcelona in the next couple of years

It’s already been over a decade since Spanish guard Ricky Rubio first landed in the NBA. As he’s getting older and injuries are starting to beat the best of him, the 32-year-old has recently admitted that he’s starting to ponder about returning to play in Europe. 

Not too long ago, Rubio overcame a serious injury this past January that kept him off court for over a year. Even though now he’s as healthy as ever, the Cavaliers only played him in three of the five first-round playoff matches against New York.

After only spending 17 minutes on the floor with Cleveland this postseason, and only managing one attempt to shot (which he missed), you can understand why he’s considering to leave the NBA.

Check out one of Rubio’s best performances ever in the NBA, as he dropped 37 points last year against the Knicks:

However, it wasn’t until the most recent episode of the “La Sontana” podcast, where Rubio was finally outspoken about his feelings and admitted that he’s considering about a possible comeback to Spain.

“I’m beginning to consider my return. Going home. To Barcelona. Close to home,” he said on air. “I have two years left on my contract. Maybe one. We’ll see.”

Even though he was open about other possibilities close to Spain, there is no doubt that Barcelona would be his ideal return, as it is the club with which he conquered the Euroleague in Paris back in 2010.

As this was also the club’s last European title, they would probably want to receive their former star with open arms. However, other options nearby seem possible, as Girona has Marc Gasol in the team, who is one of his greatest friends in basketball.

The Cleveland guard will decide his future with his family after he ends his contract in two years

Rubio is well aware that he still has two full years of contract in Ohio, but knows for a fact that whatever his family wants will be what finally dictates his next course.

“When my son starts going to school, NBA will not be worth it anymore. I’ll have to go back,” Rubio said. “I don’t want to be dizzy when he’s six years old, the age to start making friends. I’ve talked about it with my wife, we have it very clear. It’s a moment when basketball will not be the top priority.”

Financially, the player still has a strong salary for the next couple of campaigns. Next season his payment should evolve to 6.1 million dollars, and then improve to 6.43 million dollars in the 2024/25 competition.

Besides Spain, the Cavs guard admitted he wouldn’t mind playing in a culture he enjoys. “I would like to play a year in Italy, I like the country, the food, the language. Although perhaps it’s too late [now],” the 32-year-old admitted.

As the World Cup is right around the corner in Indonesia and the Philippines, the veteran should be a part of Spain’s national team. Obviously he needs to be in top form to be considered to play, but if we know Rubio, he’s always shown commitment to his native country.