Ricky Rubio is continuously being mentioned in trade rumors, but the Minnesota Timberwolves officially denied that they are shopping the Spanish playmaker this offseason.

Timberwolves general manager Milt Newton told The Associated Press that Rubio is not on trading block. In fact, Newton said that they expect the Spaniard to become an integral part of their campaign in the upcoming 2015-16 NBA season.

"We're not talking to anybody about trading Ricky," Newton said of Rubio. "We expect Ricky to be an integral part of our team this season. We expect him to be here come training camp and leading our team."

Rubio, who will be playing in the first season of his four-year contract worth $55 million, had a disappointing year last season as he was slowed down by injuries again. The four-year veteran played in just 22 games, where he averaged 10.3 points to go along with 8.8 assists and 5.7 assists per game.

The disappointing year came after he managed to play in all 82 regular-season games during the 2013-14 NBA season -- his second season since sustaining a torn ACL during his impressive rookie year in Minnesota.

Previous reports suggested that the Timberwolves are losing patience because of Rubio's durability. Rumors about his impending exit intensified after the Timberwolves parted ways with Anthony Bennett, who was also mentioned in trade talks over the past several months. Bennett was eventually waived after they failed to find a trade partner.

But despite Rubio's health struggles, Newton is confident that the 24-year-old is still the perfect playmaker for their team, who will be bannered by their promising prospects in the upcoming season like 2015 Rookie of the Year Andrew Wiggins and 2015 first overall pick Karl Anthony-Towns.

"He's one of the best facilitators in the NBA," Newton said of Rubio. "We've got a young team of guys that are athletic, that are going to get up and down. And we're going to utilize those talents that they have. Who better than Ricky to be the one leading the charge, pushing the pace, pushing the ball and getting our guys easy opportunities and getting the ball where they can be their best? We're looking to him to be that person."

Earlier this month, Rubio also expressed confidence that he will stay in Minnesota despite hearing rumblings that he could be traded to another team like the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets. The former fifth overall pick also said in the interview with Gulf News that he is excited to play alongside their young guys in the upcoming season.