The Minnesota Timberwolves and free-agent guard Joe Ingles have agreed to a one-year deal, reuniting the 36-year-old with ex-Utah Jazz teammates Mike Conley Jr. and Rudy Gobert.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the news on Ingles, who spent last season with the Orlando Magic after inking a two-year, $22 million contract. The Magic declined his $11 million option for the 2024-25 season, allowing him to become a free agent.
Ingles averaged 4.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists as Orlando made the playoffs for the first time since 2019-20. The veteran guard averaged just 17.2 minutes per game last season and is well past his prime, but he remains a steady hand in limited minutes. He hit 43.5 percent of his threes last season, as his game has largely become reliant on threes and smart passing.
The Magic also valued Ingles’ veteran presence on their youth-laden roster.
“He’s absolutely great for this group,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley told reporters of Ingles. “He keeps it real with these guys about the things that we’re doing, the things that they’re seeing, what he’s seen throughout the league. And, all jokes aside, he is all about winning. And whatever that means, if he plays eight minutes or he plays 18 minutes, he’s preached the same message to this group about what we need to do to become successful.”
Still, when given the opportunity to bring Ingles back or maximize cap space, the Magic understandably went hunting for free agents, bringing in Denver Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on a three-year, $66 million contract. Orlando has also re-signed center Goga Bitadze and guard Gary Harris.
Minnesota swooped in while Ingles was hanging out on the open market, offering him a chance to come in and continue his mentorship role. Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic offered more insight.
As he approaches his age-37 season, there is only so much one can expect Ingles to add to a team. He was never a great defender even during his prime, and he largely relies on his length at this point to bother opposing players.
That said, floor spacing never goes out of style, and Ingles is quietly one of the premier knockdown shooters of this generation.