It is official now that Ricky Rubio, the fifth overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft, will be staying in Spain for the next two seasons instead of coming to the NBA.  Did Minnesota make a mistake drafting him that high?

Many have expressed sentiments like this that suggest that the Wolves messed up big time by using a high lottery pick (that they had traded Randy Foye and Mike Miller to get) on a player that they won't even have for at least two more years.  The rationale is that the Wolves need all of the help they can get immediately, and by squandering their best resource on a player that chose not to come to the NBA they have set themselves back and may have lost any trade leverage that they have with Rubio.

I, on the other hand, believe differently.  I think that this worked out exactly like Wolves GM David Kahn wanted.  The Wolves are publicly committed to being bad for a year or two. Kahn has seemed to want to gut pretty much everything that Kevin Mchale left him and start over. I think the Wizards trade was as much about getting rid of Foye and Miller as it was about the player he might get in return. I think Kahn wanted #6 draft pick Jonny Flynn to be their point guard, but needed the PR of going after Rubio as a home run swing in a perceived weak draft. In essence, I think that Rubio was Kahn's investment.  That in two years, when Kahn is planning for the Wolves to be starting to get competitive, they will have either a potential superstar or a prime trade piece to move.  I think Kahn had to publicly do his due dilligence like he wanted Rubio, but in the end I think this worked out exactly like he wanted.

That's my take.  What is yours?