MADRID, June 17 -- Spanish guard Ricky Rubio will play for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA next season, the Barcelona basketball club announced on Friday.

The 20-year-old Rubio, who made his Spanish league debut at the age of 14, was drafted by the Timberwolves in the 2009 NBA Draft but has spent the last two years at Barcelona, crowned Spanish champions on Tuesday.

"You can see a significant change in both his upper and lower body and I think he has grown an inch," said David Kahn, Timberwolves president of basketball operations.

"He looked to me to be at least an inch taller when we saw him last in May, so from a body standpoint and certainly a maturity standpoint in every facet, these past two years have been good for him."

The Timberwolves plan to formally introduce their new signing on Tuesday.

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