Given the fact that this year’s draft class does not feature the talent of previous years, there has been a lot of attention to the few potential top picks. Most experts claim that solely Oklahoma State forward Blake Griffin and Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio have the skill set to become valuable starters anytime soon in the NBA.

The problem for Ricky Rubio is that unlike American college players he already plays professionally in Europe. More specifically, he is still under contract with DVK Joventut who play in the Spanish ACB league as well as the Euroleague. Only 19 years old, Ricky Rubio already made his debut in the Spanish league at the age of 14. Averaging 10 points, 5.7 assists and 2.1 steals this year, he has shown impressive court vision and a very high basketball IQ. Likewise, he played as backup point guard for the Spanish national team behind Jose Calderon last year at the Beijing Olympics.

However, the Spaniard faces one significant hurdle if he wants to head over to the NBA this summer. His club DVK Joventut demands a $8 million buyout to let him out of his contract early and they have very little incentive to settle for a cheaper buyout. There are rumors that Ricky Rubio may offer a percentage of his future NBA salary to cover the buyout instead of paying it straight away. Nonetheless, his agent and family have both made it clear that he plans on playing in the NBA next year.

Considering that the draft lottery has not been held yet it is difficult to predict where in the NBA Rubio will end up. Statistically the odds are that it will be either the Washington Wizards or Los Angeles Clippers, but that remains to be seen. After all the Chicago Bulls received the number one pick last summer despite their slim 1.4% chance.