Joe Ingles, Bucks Agree to 1-Year Contract in 2022 NBA Free Agency

Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images

Joe Ingles is on the move again, as he agreed to a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks in free agency.

Ingles’ 2021-22 season came to an end on Jan. 30 when he tore his ACL while playing for the Utah Jazz in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Jazz sent the 34-year-old to Portland as part of a three-team trade with the San Antonio Spurs. Utah received Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Juancho Hernangomez and Elijah Hughes.

Ingles was included in the deal for salary purposes.

Ingles spent the first eight years of his NBA career in Utah before being dealt to Portland.

When the Blazers announced Joe Cronin had been named their full-time general manager on May 10, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported part of his vision for the organization included building around Lillard.

This is a crucial offseason that could determine the long-term direction of the Blazers. Lillard, Anfernee Simons and Nassir Little were all eligible for contract extensions. Cronin traded away CJ McCollum, who had been Lillard’s backcourt running mate for nine seasons, in February.

Given how many other decisions Cronin had to worry about with younger players on the roster, Ingles’ long-term status with the Blazers always seemed tenuous.

Portland’s loss will be the Bucks’ gain because Ingles brings a valuable skill set to any NBA roster. He may not be ready for the start of the season coming off a serious knee injury, but as long as there are no setbacks, it shouldn’t be long before he’s suiting up.

At his best, Ingles will provide the Bucks with an excellent scorer who can stand behind the three-point line and convert passes into points. He has a 40.8 percent success rate from behind the arc in his NBA career.