He is still young enough
I mentioned it in the last slide, but it is worth really diving into here: Ricky Rubio is the kind of veteran that the Suns need at point guard, and at 27-years-old, he is still relatively young in basketball years and if successful and healthy, could still give Phoenix between 8-10 years of good game.
That would be a huge deal if his body held up, but at least for the first four years, he would be giving the Suns his prime years with the franchise’s expectation of success not all that unfair to request of him.
Sure, new general manager James Jones would likely prefer to add a solid 22 to 23-year-old point guard, somebody who is a little closer in age to Booker in particular, and who would all but guarantee a full ten years of prime basketball before finally beginning to show his age.
Of all the potential players available both in the league and in college at the moment, the only player that comes to mind who fits that construct is D’Angelo Russell, most fans’ (and probably Devin Booker’s) primary option, but if Brooklyn decides to re-sign him, entirely out of the question.
But trading youth for experience, the acquisition of Rubio guarantees the Suns a still young-ish point guard, still very much in his prime physical years, and unless he outright failed (which I would not expect from a player like Rubio) he could remain here for some time.