Highly rated Spanish guard Ricky Rubio has opted to join Barcelona and spend another two years playing his basketball in Europe rather than join the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves who had selected him in this year's draft.
Barcelona say the 18-year-old has signed a six-year deal worth around 7 million dollars from his current club Joventut.
The agreement included a clause that would allow Rubio to play in the NBA in two years' time.
Rubio said that he wanted to take two more years in Spain in order to be better prepared for a move to the NBA.
Rubio was drafted by the Timberwolves with the fifth pick in the first round of the 2009 NBA Draft.
