According to FIBA.com, DKV Joventut is looking to keep Ricky Rubio at least another year.

Badalona club’s president and former Spanish superstar Jordi Villacampa spoke to Spain’s news agency EFE about their DKV’s intention to keep Rubio:

“Next year, from a sporting standpoint, we need Ricky Rubio, and looking ahead to the following year, if he still had the enthusiasm to go to the NBA, we would look to find an agreement so that neither the player nor the club would come out hindered.”

If the 18-year old Spanish Rubio was allowed to enter this year’s draft, he is expected to be drafted first or second, along with Blake Griffin. Rubio is currently under a three-year contract with DKV Joventut, so his future is ultimately up to the Spanish club.  

Even if Rubio was allowed by DKV to enter the draft, NBA teams that are planning to draft the point guard phenom would have to deal with a multimillion dollar buyout. He is in the second year of his contract and Villacampa said that if Rubio was to choose the NBA this next season, Joventut “would be strict” regarding his multi-million dollar buy-out clause.

Rubio has a week from today to put his name into the 2009 NBA Draft; the deadline is April 24th, 2009.  Rubio averaged 9.8 points, 5.7 assists and 2.3 rebounds in his 18 ACB games.

Links and Resources: DKV remain hopeful of keeping Rubio for at least another season (FIBA), Ricky Rubio, Brandon Jennings on Slam Magazine Cover (Interbasket), NBA Draft 2009: Blake Griffin or Ricky Rubio? (Interbasket)