Since this all bolsters the surrealness of Rubio's interest in the Kings, it's a good spot to discuss one more theory as to why Rubio's camp has made Sacramento a priority.

We know the hard Rubio math by now. That buy-out will hurt, and NBA rookies make relatively little for four years. Perhaps in our quest to wish Rubio down to No. 4 we are forgetting a beat: the No. 2 pick will make $3.6 million next year. The No. 4 pick will make $2.9 million. In 2010-11, the numbers are $3.9 million and $3.1 million. Over just the first two years of the rookie contract, that's $1.5 million. When Rubio stands to lose a remarkable chunk of change in the buy-out (wherever it ends up), that $1.5 million — more than $3 million over the four years of the rookie scale contract — makes a huge difference.

Maybe this is cynical, or maybe my previous post was too starry-eyed. You decide.