3 Options For Cavaliers To Replace Ricky Rubio

 

Ricky Rubio was having a renaissance season—an important cog in the Cleveland Cavaliers' great start thus far. The season-ending torn ACL injury he suffered this week is a terrible blow to both Rubio and the Cavs. No doubt, his playmaking and leadership will be tough to replace. But being right in the thick of a competitive Eastern Conference, the Cavs will certainly look to fill the backup point guard spot.

There are some options for them to consider, both inside and out of the league. Let's have a look at three of the possibilities.

• DJ Augustin: The 14-year NBA vet has been a steadying influence for the young Houston Rockets this season, though it's possible they might be willing to open up more playing time for their youngsters. After all, that's the whole reason that they're paying John Wall $44M this season to sit at home. 

• Goran Dragic: Another 14-year vet, who has plenty of playoff experience with the Miami Heat, he's been sitting out most of the season for "personal reasons", after being acquired by the Toronto Raptors in the Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade. Dragic is on an expiring contract, so there'd be no commitment after this season. He has career averages of 13.9 points and 4.8 assists, and though he wouldn't need to take on such a large role with the Cavs, he could be a good fit. 

• Jeff Teague: As noted by Spencer Davies of BasketballNews, Teague is a free agent, and might be the simplest fix for the Cavs. The 33-year-old Teague somehow hasn't been scooped up yet in the rush for "hardship exception" contracts, and with his experience as a solid point guard in the league over the last 12 seasons—including a championship ring with the Milwaukee Bucks last year—he could be just what the doctor ordered for the ailing Cavs. 

It's also worth noting that Cleveland has been mentioned as one of the teams that are still pursuing trade options with the Philadelphia 76ers for Ben Simmons, though that might be a much more difficult scenario to pull off than any of the above options.

Photo Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports