Joe Ingles Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Timberwolves Notes: Gobert, Ingles, Clark, Young Players

July 5th, 2024 at 1:26pm CST by Rory Maher

Chris Hine of The Star Tribune recently asked president of basketball operations Tim Connelly if the Timberwolves have discussed a veteran contract extension with center Rudy Gobert (Twitter link).

“We’d love Rudy to be here for a very long time,” Connelly replied. “We’re still in the middle of free agency. We haven’t jumped in deeper beyond that. Obviously we’re not here without Rudy … and we hope this is Rudy’s last stop.”

Gobert, 32, claimed his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award in 2023/24. He’ll earn $43.8MM in ’24/25 and holds a $46.7MM player option for ’25/26.

Here’s more on the Wolves:

Veteran forward Joe Ingles spoke to Olgun Uluc of ESPN about agreeing to a one-year deal with Minnesota. Ingles, who previously played with Mike Conley and Gobert in Utah, said the Wolves recruited him last year as well. “It’s exciting. It’s obviously a really good team,” said Ingles, who will play in his fifth Olympic games later this month with Australia. “Western Conference finals this year. Just going in there fully understanding the role they have for me. Trying to help Rudy, trying to help Ant (Anthony Edwards), trying to help all these guys get better and hopefully go further. When the opportunity came up and you speak more in depth about the basketball side, especially with the stuff I’m saying – you still wanna play, you still wanna compete – it’s a basketball opportunity that was too good to give up.”
The Wolves have a number of young players — including second-year guard Jaylen Clark — who will by vying for rotation minutes next season, writes Patrick Reusse of The Star Tribune (subscriber link). 2024 first-round picks Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr., former second-rounders Clark, Josh Minott, and Leonard Miller, and fourth-year center Luka Garza are among the names to watch. Clark missed the entire 2023/24 season after tearing his Achilles tendon at UCLA, but he’s fully healthy now and was technically active by the end of Minnesota’s second-round playoff series with Denver, Reusse adds.
Minnesota appears to be in a strong position in the West entering the ’24/25 season, according to Michael Rand of The Star Tribune (subscription required), who praises Connelly for acquiring Dillingham, Shannon and Ingles, particularly given the limitations of being over the second tax apron.

International Notes: Olympic Qualifiers, Robinson, Australia, Canada, Hayes-Davis

July 4th, 2024 at 9:28pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of NBA superstars will match up this weekend in Greece as they look to keep their home countries’ Olympic hopes alive. The Greek national team, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, will take on Luka Doncic and the Slovenians in the semifinals of one of four ongoing Olympic qualifying tournaments (link via ESPN). The winner of Greece vs. Slovenia will go on to face the winner of Croatia vs. Dominican Republic for a spot in the men’s basketball Olympic tournament in Paris.

In total, four Olympic berths still remain up for grabs. The other semifinal matchups in Olympic qualifying tournaments around the globe are as follows:

Riga, Latvia:
- Latvia vs. Cameroon
- Brazil vs. Philippines
Valencia, Spain:
- Spain vs. Finland
- Bahamas vs. Lebanon
San Juan, Puerto Rico:
- Puerto Rico vs. Mexico
- Lithuania vs. Italy

While none of the other teams fighting for a spot in the Olympics has a perennial MVP candidate like Antetokounmpo or Doncic on its roster, there are many NBA players competing in the qualifying tournaments, including All-NBA center Domantas Sabonis for Lithuania and Deandre Ayton, Buddy Hield, and Eric Gordon representing the Bahamas.

Here are a few more updates from around the international basketball world:

Former NBA lottery pick Jerome Robinson has signed with Saint-Quentin in France, the team officially announced (via Twitter). Robinson, who was drafted 13th overall in 2018, has appeared in a total of 135 NBA regular season games, including 22 with Golden State last season while on a two-way contract with the Warriors.
The Australian national team has set its 12-man roster for the Olympics, according to Olgun Uluc of ESPN, who notes that eight active NBA players – Josh Giddey, Josh Green, Dante Exum, Jock Landale, Duop Reath, Dyson Daniels, Patty Mills, and Joe Ingles – made the cut, along with former NBA guard Matthew Dellavedova. Trail Blazers forward Matisse Thybulle is the most surprising omission, Uluc adds.
Team Canada hasn’t set its Olympic roster yet, but pared it down a little on Wednesday, with Oshae Brissett among the cuts. According to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter links), Brissett – who is coming off a championship season as a Celtics reserve – asked to withdraw to focus on his NBA free agency. It looks like there are 10 NBA players who are safe bets to be on the Canadian squad, with two roster spots still up for grabs, as Lewenberg outlines in another tweet.
Nigel Hayes-Davis, the former NBA forward who is part of the U.S. Select Team and was rumored this spring to be drawing NBA interest, has re-upped with Fenerbahce, signing a three-year contract with the Turkish team, according to a press release.

Timberwolves Sign Joe Ingles To One-Year Contract

July 3rd, 2024 at 2:34pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 6: The Timberwolves officially confirmed in a press release that they’ve signed Ingles.

JULY 3: Free agent forward Joe Ingles has an agreement in place with the Timberwolves on a one-year contract, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

While Wojnarowski doesn’t specify the financial details, Minnesota’s position relative to the second tax apron means the team an only offer the veteran’s minimum, so it’ll be a one-year, minimum-salary deal for Ingles.

Ingles spent last season in Orlando following eight years in Utah and one in Milwaukee. He averaged 4.4 points, 3.0 assists, and 2.1 rebounds in 17.2 minutes per game across 68 appearances off the bench for the Magic in 2023/24, becoming an unrestricted free agent after the club declined his $11MM option on Saturday.

Ingles, who will turn 37 before opening night, is unlikely to play big minutes in Minnesota, but he brings value as a shooter (.410 career 3PT%), a secondary ball-handler and play-maker, and as a veteran leader who has the size to defend forwards and bigger wings.

That skill set made Ingles a top target for Tim Connelly and the front office with the team set to lose Kyle Anderson in free agency, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Moving to Minnesota will give Ingles the opportunity to reunite with Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert, his former teammates with the Jazz.

A minimum-salary contract will pay Ingles a salary of $3,303,771 in 2024/25 while the Wolves take on a cap hit of $2,087,519.

Free Agency Rumors: Theis, Magic, Heat, Raptors, Rockets

July 2nd, 2024 at 9:19am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran center Daniel Theis has received interest in free agency from several suitors, including the Grizzlies, Pelicans, and Bucks, reports Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Theis won the 2023 FIBA World Cup with Germany last year, then joined the Clippers in the fall after negotiating a buyout with the Pacers. He served as the backup center in Los Angeles while Mason Plumlee missed time due to an injury and averaged 6.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks in 17.1 minutes per game across 59 outings.

A second-apron team, Milwaukee is limited to offering minimum-salary contracts to outside free agents, while Memphis and New Orleans have financial constraints of their own to consider, so Theis is unlikely to secure a big payday from any of those suitors. Still, they could certainly offer him a path to playing time.

The Grizzlies traded away Steven Adams and Xavier Tillman last season, while New Orleans lost Jonas Valanciunas and Larry Nance Jr. this summer. Milwaukee has Brook Lopez manning the middle, but his name came up in trade rumors last month.

Here are a few more free agency notes from around the NBA:

Although the Magic still have a chunk of cap room left over, they don’t appear to be aggressively pursuing outside free agents using that room. Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required) hears that there continues to be mutual interest in new deals for free agents Moritz Wagner and Joe Ingles — if both players return, Orlando would have 15 players on standard contracts. A report on Monday suggested the team is also exploring using some cap room to renegotiate and extend Jonathan Isaac‘s contract.
Caleb Martin doesn’t have a deal in place with a new team yet, but Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link) still views him as “all but gone” from the Heat. Re-signing Haywood Highsmith remains a possibility for Miami, per Winderman, who says the team may also sign another veteran free agent for the minimum. Winderman names Dennis Smith Jr. as a possible Heat target.
Free agent wing Gary Trent Jr. appears likely to leave the Raptors, according to Eric Koreen of The Athletic. As Koreen details, Toronto’s agreement with Garrett Temple means there are already 15 players projected to be on guaranteed contracts if second-round picks Jonathan Mogbo and Jamal Shead are signed using the second-round exception, as expected. In other words, the team’s free agent business might be just about done.
Kelly Iko of The Athletic hears that Trent had some interest in reuniting with former teammate Fred VanVleet in Houston, but the Rockets are another team who likely won’t do much more free agent shopping. Following the additions of Reed Sheppard and AJ Griffin, along with a new deal with Aaron Holiday, Houston projects to have 15 players under contract. While the Rockets would certainly still be interested in acquiring a young star, the two players they’ve been monitoring most closely, per Iko – Donovan Mitchell and Devin Booker – aren’t available, and the asking price for Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen was considered too high.

Magic To Decline Joe Ingles’ Team Option

June 29th, 2024 at 9:48am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Magic are declining Joe Ingles‘ team option for the 2024/25 season, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports (Twitter link). As a result of the move, the veteran wing will be an unrestricted free agent.

Ingles was set to make $11MM next season, but with his option declined, Orlando projects to have $44MM in cap space, which can increase to over $50MM if Moritz Wagner‘s team option is also declined, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). Marks also notes Jonathan Isaac is on a $17.4MM non-guaranteed contract.

While Ingles is hitting the open market, Wojnarowski reports the two sides are expected to continue dialogue through free agency next week.

The 36-year-old Ingles signed with the Magic last season after playing for the Bucks the year before. In 68 games with Orlando, Ingles averaged 4.4 points but shot 43.5% on his 2.4 three-point attempts per game.

Ingles began his career in 2014 with Utah, where he spent eight seasons. In total, he holds career averages of 8.1 points on a 41.0% clip from deep.

Fischer’s Latest: Bridges, Bulls, Kings, Magic, Smart, More

June 21st, 2024 at 4:32pm CST by Rory Maher

Free agent forward Miles Bridges‘ could receive $30MM+ annually on his next contract, league sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. However, it remains to be seen if that money will come from the Hornets or another team.

According to Fischer, Charlotte is “believed to be open” to sign-and-trade concepts involving Bridges if the right opportunity arises. Sources tell Fischer the Nets discussed a Bridges trade concept with Charlotte in February that would have sent Ben Simmons to Charlotte. The Kings also inquired about Bridges ahead of the deadline, per Fischer.

As Fischer writes, the Hornets are viewed as a “salary-dumping ground” this summer as their new front office and head coach spearhead a rebuild. The same is true of the Pistons, who are looking for a new coach after dismissing Monty Williams.

Bridges’ market value has been difficult to gauge due to his off-court history, which includes multiple domestic violence allegations. One of those cases was dropped, but the other caused him to miss the entire 2022/23 season after he pleaded no contest (accepting punishment without formally admitting guilt).

Here’s more from Fischer:

Confirming previous reporting, Fischer hears the Bulls remain active in trade talks around the league. The Thunder, Raptors and Hornets are among the teams with interest in restricted free agent Patrick Williams, Fischer writes.
The Kings appear to be the most likely suitor right now for Zach LaVine, according to Fischer, who adds that Sacramento has continued shopping Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter in trade talks. Huerter, in particular, has drawn a “healthy amount external interest.” Still, the Bulls haven’t gained serious traction on a potential LaVine deal in several months despite being active in negotiations, sources tell Fischer. The Kings are also contemplating moving the No. 13 pick in next week’s draft, Fischer adds.
In previous trade windows, the Bulls pushed for unprotected picks when discussing Alex Caruso, sources tell Fischer. One scenario saw the Bulls push for four first-rounders, though presumably that total would have included protected picks. Chicago officially traded Caruso to Oklahoma City on Friday for Josh Giddey.
Fischer confirms LaVine is a “backup option” for the Sixers and their significant cap room. Fischer also suggests (via Twitter) the 76ers shouldn’t be ruled out as a landing spot for Paul George, despite a report from Shams Charania of The Athletic stating that their interest in George has waned as of late.
Fischer says the Magic are looking for a veteran wing who can space the floor, naming Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as perhaps their top target. If they lose Williams, the Bulls could have interest in Caldwell-Pope, with the Sixers another potential landing spot depending on how things work out with other targets. There are scenarios in which Orlando would exercise its $11MM team option on Joe Ingles as well, sources tell Fischer. Fischer previously touched on Klay Thompson‘s fit with the Magic.
The Grizzlies, who control the No. 9 pick, are known to be looking for big men, with UConn’s Donovan Clingan one draft target in a move-up scenario. However, Fischer hears from sources who say Memphis is also open to moving back in the draft. The Grizzlies are unwilling to move Marcus Smart, but Luke Kennard has drawn “strong interest” in trade talks, according to Fischer — the team holds a $14.7MM option on Kennard for 2024/25.

Olympic Notes: France, Australia, Germany, Brazil

May 17th, 2024 at 1:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Ahead of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, the host nation has announced its preliminary 19-man roster (Twitter link). As Eurohoops relays, the headliners on France’s squad are big men Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert, the top two finishers in this year’s Defensive Player of the Year vote.

However, there are several more notable NBA names on the list, including Nicolas Batum, Evan Fournier, Bilal Coulibaly, and Ousmane Dieng. Other recent NBAers who didn’t finish the 2023/24 season on a roster include Killian Hayes, Frank Ntilikina, and Theo Maledon.

One player not on France’s roster is veteran guard Mike James. The 2023/24 EuroLeague MVP is an American, but according to a report from L’Equipe (hat tip to BasketNews.com), the French Basketball Federation explored the possibility of getting a French passport for James, who has played for AS Monaco in France’s LNB Pro A since 2021. That effort didn’t make any real headway, however.

“We do not have the culture of other nations which use naturalized players in a systematic way,” an unnamed executive told L’Equipe. “But we have a duty to explore all possibilities. In this case, we were asked, we looked at it and quickly established that it was not a question.”

The French national team will have to make seven cuts and set a 12-man roster for this July’s event.

Here are a few more updates related to the 2024 Olympics:

The Australian national team has trimmed its preliminary Olympic roster from 22 players to 17, the Boomers announced in a press release. None of the NBA players on the roster – including Josh Giddey, Joe Ingles, Patty Mills, Dante Exum, Matisse Thybulle, and Dyson Daniels, among others – were among the cuts, but potential 2024 first-round pick Johnny Furphy was. The plan is for those 17 Australian players to attend training camp this summer before setting the final 12-man roster.
The German national team announced this week that head coach Gordon Herbert won’t continue on in that role after the conclusion of the Paris Olympics (hat tip to Sportando). The two sides are going their separate ways after a fruitful partnership that included a gold medal at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
The Brazilian national team has announced its preliminary roster for this summer’s Olympic qualifying tournament in Latvia. The notable names include veteran point guard Raul Neto, former first-round pick Bruno Caboclo, Warriors rookie Gui Santos, and former NBA guard Didi Louzada. The Brazilians will need to win the six-team qualifier to earn a spot in the Olympic men’s basketball tournament.

Magic Notes: First-Round Loss, Wagner, Offseason, Cap Room

May 7th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After blowing a Game 7 lead in Cleveland on Sunday in a game that ended their season, the Magic went home disappointed, but viewed the loss with a mature, even-keeled perspective, as Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel writes.

“It doesn’t define us,” said second-year forward Paolo Banchero, who averaged a team-high 27.0 points per game in the seven-game series. “This is our first time in the playoffs. I’m just proud of how we played, and I know we’ll be back.”

“I walked in the locker room, and I said, ‘It sucks,'” head coach Jamahl Mosley told reporters, including Josh Robbins of The Athletic. “It does — not to get the game, knowing what you were capable of doing, to be up 18, to feel you (had) a chance to close out and not get it done. It doesn’t feel good. And, then in the same breath, you have to put it all into perspective. Sometimes these painful things are blessings in disguise.”

The Magic had missed the playoffs for three straight seasons prior to 2023/24 and this year’s young team – led by Banchero and third-year forward Franz Wagner – was considered unlikely to make a deep postseason run. So the fact that Orlando took the Cavaliers to seven games and outplayed them for much of the series should be viewed as a positive development rather than a letdown that the team didn’t go further. The Magic’s players said they intend to build off the experience.

“We won’t be walking into next season’s playoffs and have people questioning our ability to have done it before,” Jonathan Isaac said. “We took a good team to a Game 7 and we’ll be able to have that chip on our shoulder leading into next season.”

“This was a great year,” Cole Anthony added, according to Matt Murschel of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). “We set goals and accomplished our goals. Was it the outcome that we wanted? Obviously not, but we’ve got to look at the positives. We’ve got to take those and build on top of that for the summer and into next season.”

Here’s more on the Magic:

It was a brutal Game 7 on Sunday for Wagner, who scored just six points on 1-of-15 shooting and missed all five of his three-point attempts. He took the loss hard and said he felt like he “let my team down a little bit,” according to Robbins, but Banchero came to his teammate’s defense. “We’re not here without Franz,” Banchero said (Twitter link via Beede). “… He’s going to have a great summer. He’s going to get better. Just knowing him, I know he’s going to use this to motivate him and take it to another level. I don’t think he let anybody down. Sometimes it happens.”
Armed with a significant chunk of cap room, how can the Magic continue to improve this summer? ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link), Mark Deeks of HoopsHype, and Robbins and Danny Leroux of The Athletic each explore that topic, previewing the offseason in Orlando. While adding shooting is a priority, the Magic could also use a facilitator who can create easier shots for Banchero and Wagner, Marks writes. Additionally, the team faces important decisions on the non-guaranteed salaries of Isaac ($17.4MM) and Joe Ingles ($11MM) — letting go of one or both players, perhaps in an effort to try to bring them back at a lower price, would substantially increase Orlando’s cap room.
Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman didn’t offer many hints about how the team intends to use its cap room this summer, suggesting that it could be used in trades or on draft night as well as in free agency, per Murschel of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). The goal is to use it “wisely and with future planning in mind,” according to Weltman, who indicated there are at least three cornerstone players Orlando intends to build around. “We don’t want to lose the North Star of our team, which is our three leading scorers (Banchero, Wagner and Jalen Suggs) who are 22 and under,” said Weltman. “A lot of good things happened to our team this year. Now it’s up to us to earn our way into repeating that.”

And-Ones: Australia, McLemore, York, Jerebko, Calipari, Klutch

April 11th, 2024 at 8:15am CST by Luke Adams

The Australian national team has revealed its preliminary roster for the 2024 Olympics, announcing a list of 22 players that are in the mix to play in Paris. That group will have to be cut down to 12 players ahead of this summer’s tournament.

Australia’s preliminary roster includes several NBAers, including Thunder guard Josh Giddey, Mavericks guard Dante Exum, Trail Blazers forward Matisse Thybulle and big man Duop Reath, Mavericks wing Josh Green, Pelicans guard Dyson Daniels, Magic forward Joe Ingles, Heat guard Patty Mills, Rockets center Jock Landale, and Grizzlies forward Jack White.

As Olgun Uluc of ESPN notes, the newest addition to the Boomers’ roster is 19-year-old Johnny Furphy, who played for the Kansas Jayhawks in 2023/24 and is projected by ESPN to be a potential first-round pick in this year’s draft.

The most notable absence is Ben Simmons, as the Nets guard underwent back surgery last month that will sideline him for the Olympics. Simmons doesn’t have much history with the Australian national team, so it’s unclear if he would’ve been part of the Boomers’ roster in Paris even if he’d been healthy.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Former NBA guard Ben McLemore was arrested and jailed this week in Oregon and faces multiple felony sexual assault charges, reports Baxter Holmes of ESPN. The charges, which include first-degree rape, stem from an alleged incident in 2021, when McLemore was a member of the Trail Blazers.
Former NBA guard Gabe York, who appeared in five games for the Pacers across two seasons from 2021-23, has signed with Basquet Girona, the Spanish team announced this week in a press release. York played for the G League Ignite earlier this season.
Following a two-year hiatus from basketball, Swedish forward Jonas Jerebko is making a comeback, having signed with Puerto Rican team Santeros de Aguada, according to Eurohoops. Jerebko, who turned 37 last month, appeared in 635 NBA regular season games for four teams from 2009-19. He last played professionally for CSKA Moscow in 2022.
Shams Charania and Kyle Tucker of The Athletic take an in-depth look at John Calipari‘s decision to leave Kentucky for Arkansas after 15 years with the Wildcats, detailing how Calipari’s deal with the Razorbacks came about.
One Legacy Sports Management, led by veteran agent Mike George, is becoming part of Klutch Sports, CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Jamal Murray, Dillon Brooks, and Shaedon Sharpe are among George’s clients, per RealGM.

Southeast Notes: Ingles, Magic, Butler, Dragic, Hornets

January 12th, 2024 at 9:27am CST by Luke Adams

The Magic will get some reinforcements on Friday, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel, who says that forward Joe Ingles is no longer listed on the injury report after missing the team’s past 13 games due to a sprained left ankle.

Ingles had been a key reserve off Orlando’s bench early in the season, averaging 5.1 points, 3.5 assists, and 2.8 rebounds in 18.7 minutes per night across 23 healthy appearances before being injured in his 24th game.

The Magic are still relatively banged up, with Franz Wagner (right ankle sprain) and Gary Harris (right calf strain) set to sit out for a fourth straight game on Friday, while Jonathan Isaac will be unavailable for a 10th consecutive contest.

Isaac is being listed as out due to an illness after being sidelined for nine games due to a hamstring strain, Beede notes — we’ll see once that illness passes whether the forward is ready to return from his hamstring injury. As for Wagner, he went through a light workout on Thursday, but isn’t taking contact yet, per head coach Jamahl Mosley.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

Jimmy Butler (right toe MP joint sprain) has been upgraded on the Heat‘s injury report, but he’s still considered doubtful to play on Friday vs. Orlando, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. There’s a sense that Butler could make his return on Sunday vs. Charlotte or Monday in Brooklyn, Chiang adds.
Veteran guard Goran Dragic, who recently announced his retirement as a player, spoke to Chiang about why he had hoped to finish his career with the Heat, as well as his favorite memories of his time in Miami. Dragic also stated that he “definitely” has interest in joining the organization in some capacity during the next phase of his career. “I don’t know if I want to be a coach,” Dragic said. “My main thing right now is I would like to stay in Miami to be with my kids, to be a dad. But definitely, that’s my dream, to work for the Heat some day. You know, the goals change every year. And maybe in one year, it’s going to be, ‘I want to be a coach.’ You never know.”
The Hornets officially unveiled plans on Friday for $215MM in renovations to the Spectrum Center. Chase Jordan of The Charlotte Observer takes a closer look at what fans can expect from the renovation project, which is being funded by the city. Work is scheduled to begin in May 2024 and conclude before the start of the 2025/26 season.