Latest news with #JoeIngles
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
"Man someone tell him to go head and retire already" - Josh Hart's funny reaction to Joe Ingles extending his contract with the Timberwolves
"Man someone tell him to go head and retire already" - Josh Hart's funny reaction to Joe Ingles extending his contract with the Timberwolves originally appeared on Basketball Network. NBA free agency began on Monday night, June 30th. While many teams are signing assets to help them win games, the Minnesota Timberwolves brought back Joe Ingles on a one-year extension worth $3.6 million, seeing him as a valuable locker room presence. Advertisement Even though Ingles played only 19 games last season and averaged 0.8 points while spending 6.0 minutes per night on the floor, he is a veteran who can help guide the young core in Minnesota. While the Australian native was celebrating his new contract and 12th year in the NBA, Josh Hart was getting ready to roast him, the way only Hart knows how, on "X" (formerly known as Twitter). Known for his online activity and the humor he displays, the New York Knicks forward's reaction was more comedic than hateful. "Man someone tell him to go head and retire already," Hart tweeted sarcastically. The jab that went viral on "X" is one that NBA fans have come to expect from Hart, given his sense of humor. The average person who sees the tweet as hateful may not be familiar with the culture within the league, where players often exchange playful remarks disguised as praise. This is something we frequently saw with Buddy Hield and Jimmy Butler night in and night out this past season. Advertisement Ingles' impact in the NBA The Aussie has been a valuable role player since joining the league in the 2014-2015 season. His best year was in 2020-2021, when Joe averaged 12.1 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.6 rebounds per game, while finishing second in the Sixth Man of the Year race. Last season was his worst statistically, but Ingles had a chance to start one game. A night that meant so much to him, as Ingles's autistic son got an opportunity to see him start. The gesture from Coach Chris Finch resonated deeply within the NBA community, particularly among his family. Related: Pippen once missed a layup to prevent MJ from getting a triple-double in the 1997 Finals: "I didn't want him to tie me" Win-Win situation for Minnesota Ingles will be entering his 12th season in the NBA, having made the playoffs seven times, including two campaigns as the number one seed. Joe's impact may not show up in the box scores this season, but helping players like Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and others will be appreciated by those running the organization. Advertisement Vets like Udonis Haslem with the Miami Heat, and recently James Johnson of the Indiana Pacers, have shown that a veteran presence helps young players grow throughout the season. Interestingly enough, Minnesota landed an Australian prospect with tremendous upside, Rocco Zikarsky, in the 2025 Draft. What better way for him to get accustomed to the NBA than with a fellow Aussie native by his side, mentoring and guiding him. Hart's tweet wasn't disrespectful towards Ingles — it was an NBA tradition of jokingly praising someone's longevity. At the end of the day, if someone jokes about how long you've been in the league, in most cases, you're doing something right. As the Timberwolves are building on their back-to-back Western Conference Finals appearances, Ingles might not be on the floor, but he will be in the shadows helping his team in any way he can. And the jokester Hart will be somewhere in New York, most likely tweeting about it. Related: It took a lot of work and a little bit of luck for Joe Ingles to get his first NBA contract - "This is mine, I'm taking this'" This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Timberwolves Trade NAW; Former Players Sign Elsewhere
Although contracts can't officially be signed until July 6, NBA free agency kicked off in earnest on Monday night. The Minnesota Timberwolves already have extended Naz Reid and Julius Randle. Then they decided to let a pair of young big men walk. On Monday their only new deal came in the form of a re-up with veteran swingman Joe Ingles. It isn't expected that Tim Connelly will be too aggressive given the luxury tax implications and desire to avoid significant second apron penalties. Advertisement If there was an assumed result, it was that Nickeil Alexander-Walker would sign elsewhere. His market was going to be robust, and a deal came together quickly. Related Headlines Minnesota Timberwolves send NAW to Atlanta for payday Nickeil Alexander-Walker played the 2024-25 season on one of the most team-friendly contracts in the NBA. In his second full season with the Minnesota Timberwolves NAW became a rotation fixture and one of the most under-the-radar stars in the game. Now he gets his payday. The Timberwolves orchestrated a sign-and-trade with Alexander-Walker to facilitate his new deal with Atlanta. They did pick up a second round pick and some cash in the swap. Advertisement The four-year $62 million payday was substantially more than Minnesota would have been able to offer him. Last season NAW made $4.3 million in the second year of a two-year $9 million extension he signed with the Timberwolves. NAW played all 82 games for Minnesota this season. It was the second-straight year he had accomplished that feat. He also made 10 starts for Chris Finch. In 2024-25 NAW averaged 9.4 points per game on 43.8% shooting. He now heads to an Atlanta team with Trae Young at the helm. It should be expected that Alexander-Walker will be given a bit more freedom in the rotation even after averaging 25.3 minutes per game with the Minnesota Timberwolves this past year. Familiar MN Timberwolves faces find new landing spots as well It wasn't just NAW that was on the move Monday night. The free agency frenzy had multiple players with Minnesota Timberwolves ties signing on the dotted line as well. It didn't take long for Luka Garza to find a new home. Minnesota declined his minimal player option for the upcoming season and the former Iowa Hawkeye is headed to the Celtics on a two-year deal worth $5.5 million. He is certainly looking for a bit more opportunity within the rotation. Advertisement It has been a while since Tyus Jones played for the Timberwolves. However, the 'one of us' guard could have potentially been an option to fill the playmaker role Minnesota needs this summer. He won't be back though and is instead signing with the Magic. He joins fellow Minnesotan Jalen Suggs on the Orlando roster. Although he never played for the Timberwolves, Jones' brother Tre also signed a new three-year deal for $24 million with the Chicago Bulls. Related: Minnesota Timberwolves Bring Back Veteran Free Agent The memories of D'Angelo Russell aren't particularly fond in Minnesota. The guard has bounced between Los Angeles and Brooklyn since that time. He now is joining the Dallas Mavericks, and top pick Cooper Flagg. Russell will be on a Mavericks team that is looking to make noise in the post-Luka Doncic era. The Minnesota Timberwolves still have some more moves to make on their own. Who and when they find agreements with remains to be seen. Advertisement Related Headlines
New York Times
02-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Wolves see locker-room value in keeping Joe Ingles
NBA free agency is moving quickly but a number of key players remain, including a multi-time All-Star rehabbing a torn Achilles. Meanwhile, the Knicks are nearing a deal to hire Mike Brown as head coach, replacing Tom Thibodeau. Ezra Shaw / Getty Images David Berding / Getty Images Why did the Wolves re-sign a player in Joe Ingles who will turn 38 in October and played a total of 114 minutes last season? The logic is rooted in a long-running philosophical preference of president of basketball operations Tim Connelly and coach Chris Finch. Locker room dynamics play a big role in team success, and Connelly pays as much attention to them as any lead executive in the league. Ingles signed in Minnesota last summer as a free agent with the expectation that he would have a significant spot in the rotation. The Wolves sold him on a Kyle Anderson-like role after Anderson, a favorite of Finch's, left in free agency. That was before Minnesota made a major trade, sending Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. The two-for-one deal took most of the minutes that otherwise could have been allotted to Ingles, who took the change in stride. Meanwhile, younger players such as Josh Minott were getting restless sitting at the end of the bench with no clear path to a spot in the rotation. At the end of the season, team sources said, Minott asked for the Wolves to decline his option so he could seek a role on a team with the chance to play more. Knowing that would have been difficult to accomplish in Minnesota with Terrence Shannon Jr., Jaylen Clark and Rob Dillingham all ahead of Minott in the pecking order, the Wolves obliged Minott by declining to pick up his team option. They also allowed Luka Garza to pursue a real role elsewhere, and the Boston Celtics swooped in Monday to give him a two-year, fully guaranteed deal. The Celtics had long been fans of Garza's, periodically checking in with the Wolves on his availability over the years, team sources said. GO FURTHER Wolves lose Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luka Garza, retain Joe Ingles as NBA free agency opens Brad Penner / Imagn Jordan Clarkson is a worthwhile low-risk, solid-reward signing for the Knicks, who were pressed for scoring off their bench during this past spring's playoff run. Clarkson has struggled over the past two seasons in Utah, but he should receive easier looks inside what was a top-five Knicks offense last season. If it works, the Knicks hit a home run, considering the likely low price. An affordable rotation player is especially valuable in the two-apron era. Clarkson can play alongside Miles "Deuce" McBride, who the Knicks consider a point guard defensively but use more like a small wing on offense, deploying him to space the court and cut instead of running the offense. Clarkson can guard off the ball but handle it more on the other end. If it doesn't work — if Clarkson continues to trend downward as he enters his mid-30s — there isn't much financial risk, and New York can move elsewhere without much of a bump. Congratulations to the Bucks on playing salary cap bingo today. They made moves on the margins with a veteran minimum contract, a biannual exception deal and a non-Bird free agent signing in the same day. The Bucks had no Bird rights on any of the three players reported to have new deals to re-up with the Bucks today — Taurean Prince, Gary Trent, Jr. and Kevin Porter, Jr. — yet re-signed all of them without using a cent of their nontaxpayer midlevel exception. Porter's deal is for the rarely used biannual exception, something only two of the league's 30 teams took advantage of a year ago. That deal is two years and will pay him the full biannual exception of $5,390,700 in 2025-26, with the maximum allowed 5-percent raise to $5,660,235 in 2026-27. Trent's deal is as a non-Bird free agent, which can be for up to a 20 percent raise on his old salary. However, because he was on a minimum deal, it's actually a 20 percent raise on his minimum for this year, which takes his number for hits season up to $3,697,100. With the maximum allowable 5 percent raise, he'll make $3,881,955 in 2026-27. Finally, Prince's deal is for the veteran minimum, but because it is for multiple seasons, it doesn't count for the cap-friendly $2.3 million like one-year vet minimum deals do. Instead, Prince is on the books at $3,303,770 for 2025-26 as a nine-year veteran, and for next year at an estimated $3.89 million if he picks up his player option. Milwaukee is still $12.7 million below the luxury tax line and $18.9 million below the first apron — where they are hard-capped due to Porter's contract — with at least two roster spots left to fill. The Bucks have their entire $14.1 million nontaxpayer midlevel exception remaining, as well as early Bird rights on restricted free agent guard Ryan Rollins. The Bucks could also create an additional roster spot and $2.2 million in room by waiving Chris Livingston's non-guaranteed deal, although that money would go right back to another minimum contract to fill the roster spot. Jesse Johnson / Imagn One of the primary reasons the Wolves chose big guys Naz Reid and Julius Randle over Nickeil Alexander-Walker was the depth behind him. They believe Terrence Shannon Jr., Jaylen Clark and Rob Dillingham are ready for more minutes in the backcourt and on the wing, and now coach Chris Finch has an extra 25.3 minutes per game to spread around. The most recent collective bargaining agreement forces those kinds of choices on teams. With little to no spending power for free agents, the Wolves are determined to run back most of last year's team to see if another year together will get them one step further. They will return nine of their top 10 players and are in the market for another ballhandler or a more traditional center behind Rudy Gobert, team and league sources said. They do have a $5.7 million taxpayer midlevel exception, but given how close they are to the second-apron threshold of $207.8 million, they will only use it if they think the player they get will make a significant impact on next season, those sources said. GO FURTHER Wolves lose Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luka Garza, retain Joe Ingles as NBA free agency opens With the Bucks' roster next season increasingly looking like "running it back minus Brook Lopez," that Pelicans draft-day trade with the Hawks to move up 10 spots to draft Derik Queen is looking even worse. The Pelicans surrendered an unprotected 2026 first-round pick that is the most favorable of their selection and Milwaukee's. In other words, the Pelicans could (somehow) be awesome next year and STILL hand over a lottery pick to Atlanta if the Bucks also miss the playoffs. Considering the Bucks' roster beyond Giannis Antetokounmpo, New Orleans better hope a) it fares far better than most expect in the deep West next season AND b) Milwaukee's star doesn't gets hurt or traded. Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images Gary Trent plans to re-sign with the Milwaukee Bucks on a two-year, $7.5 million deal with a player option for the second season, a league source confirmed. Trent came to Milwaukee last offseason on a minimum deal, hoping to prove himself as the Bucks' starting shooting guard. Things didn't work out like that, as an early season injury contributed to a shooting slump that saw him get moved out of the starting lineup after missing a few games. In his final 65 games, Trent averaged 11.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 25.8 minutes off the bench and knocked down 43.5 percent from the 3-point line. In the postseason, Trent became one of Giannis Anteotkounmpo's most trusted teammates. When coach Doc Rivers moved Trent into the starting lineup for Game 3 against the Indiana Pacers, Trent responded by scoring 37 points while knocking down 9-of-12 from behind the 3-point line. In a do-or-die Game 5, the 26-year-old shooting guard hit multiple clutch shots on his way to 33 points, but ultimately had the ball slip through his hands at the end of the game, which set up Tyrese Haliburton's first heroic shot of the postseason. Trent should be a good value for the Bucks next season as they try to figure out their path forward around Antetokounmpo. Matthew Stockman / Getty Images This is how you use your cap space in today's NBA. The Nets having Michael Porter Jr. on their rebuilding roster is a perfect fit. He's going to be a scorer to help dazzle fans on nights of bad team play. This Nets team is not trying to win basketball games. Brooklyn is just accumulating assets and trying to maximize its best chance at getting a superstar via the NBA draft lottery in the next two years. Now, the Nets will also have a unprotected 2032 first-round pick from Denver thanks to this trade. The Nets don't add any future money from this deal beyond how Cam Johnson's contract impacted them, so they're just eating up some of their existing cap space. And they're hoping that another pick in their treasure chest of draft assets will yield players or leverage in a future trade. Read more on why I gave the Nets an A for this trade. GO FURTHER Trade grades: Can Michael Porter Jr. help Nets' rebuilding efforts? It appears forward Guerschon Yabusele will not return to the Philadelphia 76ers next season, league sources tell The Athletic. Yabusele, 29, averaged 11 points per game last season. Jordan Clarkson isn't a perfect player, but the Knicks getting a microwave scorer of his level off waivers is a home run. Clarkson is a low-risk, high upside addition for a bench that doesn't have much shot creation. Vincent Carchietta / Imagn The Philadelphia 76ers are signing Trendon Watford to a 2 year deal worth 5.3 million, league sources tell The Athletic. ESPN was first to report a deal. Watford, 24, is a real versatile piece for the Sixers. The Swiss Army knife-type averaged 10.2 points per game for the Nets last season. Christopher Creveling / Imagn Jordan Clarkson intends to sign with the New York Knicks once he clears waivers, a league source said. The Utah Jazz bought out his contract earlier today. Clarkson, 33, has long held an interest in living in New York and playing at the Garden, with his buzzy, boundary-pushing style sense (think Willis Reed in a fur coat). The former Sixth Man of the Year award winner averaged 16.2 points per game for the Jazz last season. He must clear waivers before the Knicks can sign him. Isaiah J. Downing / Imagn The Cam Johnson-Michael Porter Jr. trade is a massive win for the Nuggets from a roster-building standpoint. Porter was owed $78 million over the next two seasons, and Johnson is due $44 million in that same timeframe. For $17 million less per season, Johnson is a similar on-court fit to Porter. This deal takes the Nuggets far away from the dreaded second apron and now gives them a lot of breathing room for fleshing out what was a top-heavy roster in the last two seasons. Johnson is one of the NBA's best 3-point shooters and gives the Nuggets plenty of versatility at either forward position. He's a career 39.2-percent 3-point shooter on more than 2,000 attempts. The 29-year-old is as consistent and reliable as it gets when it comes to being an effective off-ball shooter. He's been this kind of shooter playing on a Brooklyn team that didn't have stars to create gravity for him, leaving him to provide that gravity for the team. That won't be the case with Denver. Why? He's on Nikola Jokić's team now. Read more on why I gave Denver an A- for this deal. GO FURTHER Trade grades: Can Michael Porter Jr. help Nets' rebuilding efforts? Taurean Prince spent much of last season in the Bucks' starting lineup. He averaged 8.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1 steal in 27.1 minutes per game and knocked down 43.9 percent from behind the 3-point line on 4.2 attempts per game. After the All-Star break, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers assigned him the toughest defensive assignments, and Prince did his best to make it work. He was durable and dependable for the Bucks this past season, but saw his time on the floor shrink during the postseason, never seeing above 20 minutes in any of the Bucks' five first-round games against the Indiana Pacers and playing less than five minutes in two of the three games. He will return to the Bucks. Mitchell Leff / Getty Images Taurean Prince will return to the Milwaukee Bucks on a two-year, $7.1 million contract, a league source said. The second year is a player option. Prince, 31, averaged 8.2 points per game while making nearly 44 percent of his 3s. Ken Blaze / Imagn The Cavaliers' original offseason plan had them re-signing Sam Merrill AND Ty Jerome, to similar contracts, two league sources said. While Merrill was thrilled to accept a four-year, $38 million deal, those sources said, Jerome sought more. The Cavs, already with one of the most expensive rosters in the league, chose to trade for Lonzo Ball instead of paying Jerome above market value — and they were right about that. Jerome ended up with a three-year, $28 million deal with the Grizzlies, a difference of about $200,000. The Charlotte Hornets will sign Mason Plumlee to a one-year minimum deal, league sources told The Athletic. Alika Jenner / Getty Images PORTLAND, Ore. — Inside the office of Chauncey Billups, in bold letters, reads a saying the Portland coach holds dear, an adage that he wants to be at the root of the Trail Blazers' rebuild. 'You can have bad plays,'' the maxim reads, 'but not bad ways.' The quote is from Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown, whom Billups played for in Detroit and now considers a mentor. It's a quote that goes a long way in explaining why the Trail Blazers parted ways with center Deandre Ayton, whom they waived after negotiating a contract buyout, this week. Read more on how Ayton wore out his welcome in Portland. GO FURTHER Deandre Ayton accepts Trail Blazers contract buyout, will become free agent: Sources Page 2
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The Timberwolves See Real Value In Having Joe Ingles
The Timberwolves See Real Value In Having Joe Ingles originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Minnesota Timberwolves made the surprising decision to keep Joe Ingles around as one of the team's veterans for the 2025-26 season. He did not play much during the Timberwolves' 2024-25 campaign, but the people in charge see him as an important piece. Advertisement Ingles will turn 38 in October after playing only 114 total minutes in the 2024-25 season. Despite that, the president of basketball operations, Tim Connelly, decided to bring him back due to his and head coach Chris Finch's preferences. Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images The Timberwolves have a loaded roster, as they have retained most of their core from the 2024-25 Western Conference Finals run. They needed to round out the edges, but they needed to keep some of the voices in the locker room. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is the only player who played significant minutes who left the team, but still needed someone to settle the team down in the locker room, and that is experienced veteran Joe Ingles. Advertisement The team was not willing to let him go just yet, as they signed him to a $3.6 million contract for the 2025-26 season. Related: Josh Hart Facing Backlash for Reaction to Timberwolves, Joe Ingles News The Veteran's Role In The Timberwolves Locker Room While the Timberwolves have a young roster, the importance of an experienced veteran is key. Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley Jr. are there, but they still need another voice, which was Ingles. Anthony Edwards is the clear superstar and leader, but he needs more teammates to bounce off of. Ingles is a good player for that role, as he can also step in and be the cerebral player Finch needs on the court when needed. He has often been brought in to inbound the ball, but that is an admirable skill. If he can continue as the smart player the Timberwolves need, he will have a role, even if it's on the bench for most nights. Advertisement "Locker room dynamics play a big role in team success, and Connelly pays as much attention to them as any lead executive in the league," The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski said about the Timberwolves' reasoning behind this move. Ingles Is A Positive Presence For The Timberwolves While his veteran leadership is important for the Timberwolves, Ingles brings a positive vibe to the team. He is beloved around the league as a jolly person, which is crucial for a team competing at the highest level. A player who brings the mood up is vital. Edwards is notable for his positive mindset with his teammates, but having an experienced player like Ingles do the same is crucial for the team. As long as Ingles is on the team, the Timberwolves can always have a pleasant environment. At the same time, Ingles will not be the one to mince words, as he will criticize his teammates when needed. He is on a small contract, so this will likely work out because he plays a small but monumental role. Advertisement Related: The Real Reason Behind Joe Ingles' First Start This Season This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
News.com.au
01-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Aussie NBA cult hero signs contract that is the stuff of dreams
Aussie basketballer Joe Ingles is set to keep his NBA career going in a $5.4 million deal to return to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The one year deal would be considered an eye-watering and lucrative sum among Aussie athletes, but overseas is a measly veteran's minimum deal for the shooting guard. Ingles, who will turn 38 in October, will have his deal count for roughly $3.5m against the salary cap after it was confirmed by his agent Mark Bertelstein at Priority Sports. Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. Assuming Ingles plays the full 82-game season, it would see him net more than $65,000 per game. However, the Australian only managed 19 games and one start in the 2024-25 season, where he averaged 0.8 points per page, 0.6 rebounds per game and 1.2 assists per game in roughly 6 minutes per game. It makes the deal even more lucrative considering his expected output, and Ingles is expected to become more of a mentor in the locker room than a consistent rotator in the team. The news prompted the New York Knicks' Josh Hart to share the news with some choice words. 'Man some tell him to go head and retire already,' Hart shared on X. Hart's words were more in good-natured jest and in line with the sarcastic shooting guard known to have one of the most active social media accounts in the league. Ingles played a couple of season in the EuroLeague before signing with the Utah Jazz in the NBA. Ingles was there for eight seasons where he became the franchise leader for most three-pointers in their history with 1,071. But stints later with the Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic and now the Minnesota Timberwolves have not seen the same success in the back-end of his career. The Aussie will be looking to bounce back in what will be his 12th season in the NBA. For the record, Ingles' payday would be enough to make even the highest paid NRL and AFL stars salivate. As reported by Code Sports, Richmond's Tom Lynch was the highest paid player in the AFL last year with an annual salary of around $1.45 million. The AFL announced in February there are 10 players this season earning more than $1.2 million.
