We’re going to keep trying a series where we take a deeper dive at some of the upcoming free agents and give my personal and amateur opinions about the best situations for them.
JOE INGLES
The player you’re getting
Most NBA players look like superstars as soon as they walk into the building. Joe Ingles looks like he should be the night janitor, cleaning up the excess spills by the urinals.
That is, until Joe Ingles actually checks into the game. The more you watch him play, the more you respect his skills. Clearly, he’s been a successful pro around the world for a reason: first in his native Australia, then in Spain’s ACB League, and then with Israeli powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv (coached under David Blatt).
It’s taken a while for the NBA to embrace Ingles, but he’s found a home in the rotation with a surging Utah squad. He doesn’t look to score on his own often, as evidenced by 7.1 points in 24.0 minutes, with only 0.8 free throw attempts per game. However, Ingles is what you’d call the quintessential “glue guy” — giving you a little bit of everything wherever you need it. He’s a good shooter from beyond the arc — with percentages increasing from 35.6% to 38.6% to an amazing 44.1% this year. He’s a good passer — with an assist/turnover ratio of 2.7 to 1.3 this year.
Perhaps Ingles’ most underrated attribute is his defensive abilities. He’s not a “stopper,” but his 6’8″ frame allows him to toggle between positions, defending against SGs, SFs, and even some PFs as well. In today’s NBA, he’s going to be a valuable and versatile chess piece.
The contract he’s getting
Clearly, I’m a fan of Joe Ingles and think he’d fit virtually any team as a 5th starter or a 6th man off the bench. However, there are three factors that will keep him from cashing into the extreme end.
The first is, quite simply, that superficial perception that a dopey-looking, goofy-looking, even doughy-looking white guy can’t actually be a good basketball player. There’s always going to be a natural bias against players like that among some GMs.
The second, and more practical concern is that Joe Ingles is already 29 years old (and turning 30 later this year). He’s only been in the league for 3 seasons now, but that age does limit his perceived “upside” and developmental curve. It’d be difficult to trust Ingles with a massive contract past 3 years, given that he could be on the decline by then.
Lastly, Ingles is a restricted free agent, which means the Utah Jazz can match any contract sheet he acquires. It’ll be a tough situation for teams to navigate, not unlike Spurs’ breakout Jonathon Simmons. Do you shy away from Ingles, expecting him to stay? Or do you overwhelm him with an offer? A fair contract for Ingles could be in the range of 3 years, maybe $30-35 million. However, that may not be enough to pry him away. It could cause Ingles to become vastly overpaid, or underpaid, as a result.
The best fits
(3) Brooklyn Nets
More than any other team in the league, the Brooklyn Nets have the ability to overwhelm a restricted free agent like Joe Ingles with a contract offer, in the same way that they tried to do with Tyler Johnson and Allen Crabbe last year. Given his age, Ingles may be easier to pry away.
Ingles would be able to contribute to the Nets right away, probably starting and logging better stats than he would elsewhere. But for the Nets, acquiring Ingles would be more of a “locker room” play than anything else. The professional-minded Ingles would be a good influence for the team’s young bucks like D’Angelo Russell, Caris LeVert, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.
The coaching fit makes sense as well. Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson’s previous stint came on Mike Budenholzer’s staff in Atlanta — the same staff that employed current Utah coach Quin Snyder as well. Presumably, their systems employ some of the same principles, which would give Ingles a leg up in terms of adapting to his new offense.
(2) Utah Jazz
I imagine Quin Snyder would like to keep Joe Ingles in house, but the Jazz are in a tricky situation given the fact that they also have Gordon Hayward and George Hill up for free agency. In terms of the priority list and call sheet, Ingles will probably be #3.
If Gordon Hayward leaves, keeping Ingles would be easier for the Jazz to manage from a cap perspective. It’d be a great situation for Ingles, who could soak up 30+ minutes in the meantime. But if Gordon Hayward stays, that math gets a little more complicated. With Gordon Hayward, Rodney Hood, and Joe Johnson on the roster, it’d be difficult to pony up for another quality wing player. I can see Ingles being squeezed out due to those cap concerns — making him the victim of his own success.
(1) Philadelphia 76ers
To me, Philadelphia represents the best of both options 2 and 3.
Like Brooklyn, they’re a young team with cap space to spare. They wouldn’t flinch about paying (or even overpaying) for a veteran to help in their locker room. There are some karma and kismet to this fit as well. Coach Brett Brown has more ties to Australia than any coach in the league, not to mention an Aussie franchise player in Ben Simmons. Having a savvy pro like Ingles — Australian or not — can only be good for the team’s chemistry, work habits, and the development of Simmons and Markelle Fultz.
But this team isn’t like Brooklyn in the competitive sense — in that regard, they’re more like Utah. Barring more injuries, this Philadelphia team should be able to compete for the playoffs, sooner than later. In order to do that, they’re going to need some more solid rotational pieces — and Joe Ingles fits that bill. His passing and shooting suit the rest of the roster well, particularly because Simmons (and maybe Fultz) won’t be effective from 3-point range yet. They’re going to need spacers like Ingles who won’t demand the ball often, but know how to fit in on offense and switch around on D. I can see Ingles nearing 30 minutes a night roaming between SG, SF, and PF.
All in all, it appears to be a dream fit and would be the one situation even more appealing than his comfort zone in Utah.
