Joe Ingles Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Trade Rumors: Kings, Barnes, Jazz, Gordon, Nets, Sixers

February 9th, 2022 at 9:32am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings have made on major trade already this week, sending three players, including Tyrese Haliburton, to Indiana in exchange for a three-player package headlined by Domantas Sabonis. However, they may not be done dealing yet. A front office source who spoke to Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com believes there’s another Sacramento move on the way before Thursday’s deadline.

“That one (the Sabonis trade) is just Part One,” the source told Bulpett.

Kings forward Harrison Barnes remains a candidate to be moved, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com, who hears from sources that the team is expected to “aggressively” explore the market for Barnes.

There should be no shortage of suitors for Barnes, a solid defender who is knocking down 40.5% of his three-point attempts this season and has a reasonable contract ($20.3MM this season, $18.4MM next year). Marc Berman of The New York Post, who hears from multiple sources that the Kings would be open to moving Barnes, reports that the Knicks are one team that has inquired on the veteran forward.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

The Jazz have expressed interest in trading for Rockets shooting guard Eric Gordon, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. As Scotto writes, Utah has been dangling Joe Ingles‘ expiring contract and a future first-round pick in the hopes of adding a wing, while Houston has sought a first-rounder in any deal involving Gordon.
While ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (video link) thinks there’s a real chance of the Nets and Sixers completing a James Harden/Ben Simmons trade this week, Brooklyn head coach Steve Nash said on Tuesday that he expects his roster to be the same after Thursday’s trade deadline as it is now, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).
Whether or not they trade Simmons, the Sixers are in the market for another backcourt player, head coach Doc Rivers said on Tuesday (Twitter link via Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer). “We have no choice. We have to get another guard,” Rivers said. “We just do. Even if Furk (Furkan Korkmaz) and Shake (Milton handle the ball), we need a point guard, and we’re looking. But they don’t grow on trees, as you know.”

Lakers, Wolves, Jazz Eyeing Josh Richardson

February 8th, 2022 at 11:27am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers are the latest team to be linked to Celtics wing Josh Richardson, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.

There are conflicting reports on what the Lakers are willing to offer for Richardson. Keith Smith of CelticsBlog.com hears from a source that talks between Los Angeles and Boston went nowhere because the Celtics don’t have much interest in Talen Horton-Tucker and the Lakers weren’t eager to add a draft pick to their trade offer.

However, Brian Robb of MassLive.com reports that L.A. offered Horton-Tucker and a draft pick for Richardson. The details on that pick are unclear, but the Lakers’ first-rounders are tied up for the next few years, so a 2027 pick is the earliest one they could unconditionally offer. A first-rounder may be necessary to entice Boston — Horton-Tucker’s trade value has “significantly cooled” since last season, per Bill Oram and Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

The Timberwolves are another potential suitor for Richardson. Jared Weiss of The Athletic, who previously reported that Minnesota hadn’t shown much interest in a possible deal that would’ve sent Richardson and either Romeo Langford or Aaron Nesmith to the Wolves in exchange for Malik Beasley, says those discussions are once again gaining some momentum.

According to Weiss, the Wolves are “warming up” to the idea of a deal involving Beasley and Richardson, since it seems increasingly unlikely they’ll be able to land an impact player such as Ben Simmons.

However, it’s unclear whether the Wolves and Celtics agree on Beasley’s value. Smith has heard that the C’s want more than just Beasley from Minnesota in a swap for Richardson, due to his past legal issues and the fact that he’s earning a higher salary ($14.5MM) than Richardson ($11.6MM). Adding Langford ($3.8MM) or Nesmith ($3.6MM) would close that salary gap.

Meanwhile, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype says rival executives believe Minnesota wants a first-round pick for Beasley. That seems like an unrealistic asking price, given Beasley’s underwhelming performance this season, but it suggests the Wolves still value him — it’s unclear if they’d be willing to move him for a package like Richardson and Nesmith.

Finally, the Jazz also remain in the hunt for Richardson, according to Robb. A report last week indicated that the veteran swingman is on Utah’s radar.

Any offer from the Jazz would likely have to be centered around Joe Ingles‘ expiring contract and a future first-round pick, says Robb. Given the Celtics’ recent hot streak, that sort of framework may not appeal to the team, since Ingles is out with a torn ACL and wouldn’t be able to contribute this season.

Joe Ingles Has “No Doubt” He’ll Come Back From ACL Tear

February 4th, 2022 at 10:49am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran Jazz forward Joe Ingles will turn 35 later this year and is preparing to undergo surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee, but he’s not contemplating the possibility of retirement. Ingles told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon that there’s “literally no doubt” that he’ll make an NBA comeback after recovering from his ACL tear.

“I know probably everybody says that when they’re going through this,” Ingles said. “A few days post-injury, people might think I’m a little bit crazy. But you look at people who have been through this. The MRI was a little bit of a win, I guess, with it just being my ACL.”

As Ingles notes, while a torn ACL isn’t an easy injury to come back from, he didn’t suffer further structural damage in that knee, such as an MCL tear. The 34-year-old also pointed out that the injury may not affect him as significantly as it would if he were a player who relied more on quickness and explosiveness.

“Then the other part of it — and we joke about it — is my game,” Ingles told ESPN. “My game has never been based on athleticism, above the rim, or anything like that. I’m not writing off what this surgery is and what the rehab looks like, but everyone around the league knows how I play and what I can do.”

Ingles joked that the reactions to his injury on social media made it sound like he was “dead” or “dying.” He told MacMahon that he remains “very, very confident” in his ability to continue playing in the NBA.

Although Ingles is optimistic about eventually returning to the court, there’s no guarantee it will happen for the Jazz. His contract with the team expires this offseason, and his $13MM+ cap hit will make him a candidate to be traded as a salary-matching piece if Utah makes a deadline deal.

“If I’m able to get someone back that would help them make a push for the end of the year, I understand that,” Ingles told MacMahon. “I’m not going to sit here and be sour and upset. I’ve built my eight years here of hard work and in the community and all that stuff, but I’m very well aware of the business side and all that.”

Theoretically, Ingles could return to the Jazz as a free agent next season even if he’s traded at this year’s deadline. His injury recovery will likely extend into the 2022/23 season, complicating his free agency, but he tells ESPN he has “good relationships” with the franchise and will see what happens after his contract expires.

Northwest Notes: Ingles, Edwards, Beverley, Reed

February 3rd, 2022 at 12:46pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Jazz swingman Joe Ingles, recently ruled out for the season with an ACL tear, seems likely to either see his expiring $14MM contract traded or waived by Utah, writes Sarah Todd of the Deseret News.

Todd writes that wing Danuel House appears likely to ink a guaranteed deal with Utah, but that the team may need more help than that. The Jazz also have a $7.4MM trade exception they could use to their advantage. Until the team makes another addition to its roster, Todd projects Eric Paschall to see more run in the absence of Ingles.

Tony Jones of The Athletic concurs that it seems probable House will get a guaranteed deal in the wake of the Ingles injury. Jones opines that Ingles will be tough to replace as a reliable wing shooter and ball-handler, particularly in the pick-and-roll. Jones notes that the Jazz, hopeful to make a championship push this season, will most likely look to shore up their roster beyond just keeping House around.

There’s more out of the Northwest Division:

Timberwolves second-year swingman Anthony Edwards is confident he can reach All-Star levels, possibly even this season, writes Marc Spears of the Undefeated. “My main goal is to get into the All-Star Game,” Edwards said ahead of the NBA revealing coaches’ picks tonight for the 2022 game in Cleveland next month. “I know I am going to get in the Rising Stars Game [this season]. I want to be in [the] All-Star Game.” The 20-year-old is averaging 22.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 3.7 APG, with shooting splits of .443/.363/.807 across 40 games for the 26-25 Timberwolves this year. Responding to a question about his ceiling as a player, Edwards was optimistic. “I don’t think I got one,” he said. “I think I can be as good as anyone.”
When asked about the possibility of being dealt at or before the impending trade deadline this season, Timberwolves guard Patrick Beverley indicated that he hopes to stick around in Minnesota, both for the rest of this season and perhaps past it, per Chris Hine of the Star Tribune (Twitter link). “It’s been great here,” Beverley said of his tenure in Minnesota. “Especially trying to establish a culture, a winning culture here … They allowed me to be myself here. Allowed me to do my thing, and that’s affected on and off the court on the team.”
Nuggets shooting guard Davon Reed expressed confidence that he has shown he can be more than a “fringe” player in the league, per Mike Singer of the Denver Post. “I can defend multiple positions, I can make open shots and, given the opportunity, I can make plays for my team as well,” Reed said. He has certainly earned rave reviews from head coach Michael Malone. “Every time that kid gets a chance to play, he goes out there and plays at a high level,” Malone said. Reed’s shooting numbers, albeit across a fairly modest 14.4 MPG while taking just 3.4 field goal attempts and 0.2 free throw looks a night, have been encouraging: .500/.476/.800.

Josh Richardson, Josh Okogie Among Players On Jazz’s Radar

February 2nd, 2022 at 8:27am CST by Luke Adams

Celtics swingman Josh Richardson and Timberwolves swingman Josh Okogie are among the wing options the Jazz have discussed as they weigh their trade options, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported on HoopsHype’s latest podcast.

Utah also continues to keep an eye on Kings forward Harrison Barnes and Trail Blazers forward Robert Covington, according to Scotto. Barnes – whom new Jazz executive Danny Ainge pursued during his time in Boston – and Covington have previously been identified as potential targets for the club.

Barnes and Covington would certainly come at a higher cost in a trade than Richardson or Okogie. Scotto has heard from executives around the NBA that the Kings are seeking at least a first-round pick in any deal involving Barnes. Utah has a future first-rounder to offer along with Joe Ingles‘ expiring contract, but Scotto thinks Sacramento might push for a player like Bojan Bogdanovic, who could contribute right away, over Ingles, who will be sidelined for the rest of the season due to a torn ACL.

If the Jazz are unable to use Ingles and draft assets to land a player like Barnes or Covington, they could shift their focus to a target like Richardson. In his latest roundup of leaguewide trade rumors, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report says that Utah has been “consistently mentioned” as a possible destination for Richardson.

A January report indicated Boston has been “surprisingly open” to discussing Richardson after trading for him and signing him to a one-year extension during the 2021 offseason. Richardson’s scoring average has dipped to 9.8 PPG, his lowest mark since his rookie season in 2015/16, but he’s hitting 39.1% of his three-point attempts and is a versatile defender.

Okogie, who is shooting a career-worst 35.6% from the floor in just 12.7 minutes per contest (32 games) in 2021/22, will be a free agent at season’s end and is likely viewed as a fallback option for Utah. The former first-round pick is earning just $4.1MM and is a solid defender, but won’t contribute much on offense and probably can’t be counted on to play a significant role on a contending team. He has been in and out of Minnesota’s rotation this season.

Joe Ingles Out For Season With Torn ACL

January 31st, 2022 at 1:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Jazz forward Joe Ingles has been diagnosed with a torn left ACL, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that Ingles will miss the rest of the 2021/22 season.

The plan is for Ingles to undergo surgery to repair the ACL tear within the next few weeks, once he gets a range of motion back in his knee, sources tell Wojnarowski (Twitter links).

Ingles, the runner-up for the Sixth Man of the Year award to teammate Jordan Clarkson in 2020/21, was having a down year this season, averaging just 7.2 PPG, 3.5 APG, and 2.9 RPG on .404/.347/.773 shooting in 45 games (24.9 MPG). However, he was still a regular rotation player for the Jazz and is viewed as one of the club’s locker-room leaders.

Ingles’ injury is a tough blow to a slumping squad that is already dealing with a series of other injuries. Donovan Mitchell has been in the concussion protocol for two weeks, having last played on January 17, while Rudy Gobert has missed Utah’s last four games due to a calf ailment. After starting the season with a 28-10 record, the Jazz have lost 11 of their last 13 games, including five in a row.

Mitchell’s and Gobert’s injuries, at least, aren’t considered long-term issues, but the Jazz will need to find a way to make up Ingles’ production. In the short term, forwards like Bojan Bogdanovic, Royce O’Neale, and Rudy Gay will be leaned on more heavily.

Because he’s in the last year of his contract and has had an up-and-down season, Ingles had been viewed as a potential trade candidate for a Utah team seeking an upgrade on the wing. The 34-year-old and his $13MM expiring deal seem even more likely to be moved now. Like the Cavs have done with Ricky Rubio since he suffered an ACL tear of his own, the Jazz will probably shop Ingles with a draft pick in the hopes of acquiring a player who can help the club contend this season.

The Jazz won’t be able to apply for a disabled player exception in response to Ingles’ injury, since the deadline to submit a DPE request was January 15.

Northwest Notes: Ingles, Thunder, Beasley, Hyland

January 31st, 2022 at 10:03am CST by Luke Adams

If Joe Ingles‘ left knee injury sidelines him for an extended period, it won’t be easy for the Jazz to replace his presence on the court and in the locker room, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic. While Ingles still has to undergo an MRI to confirm the severity of the injury, team doctors – who conducted an initial examination on Sunday – fear that it’s significant, according to Jones.

“It’s not even about the basketball at this point,” Jazz forward Rudy Gay said. “Just having him in the locker room is good for us. That’s our guy.”

“Seeing Joe at halftime, that took a lot out of guys,” Jazz point guard Mike Conley said. “Seeing him in pain. Seeing him in tears that was tough. We knew how much this meant to him. All we could do was tell him that we loved him and tell him to keep his head up.”

Ingles, who is on an expiring contract, was already considered a potential trade candidate for a Jazz team seeking a defensive upgrade on the wing. If the 34-year-old is ruled out for several months – or possibly the rest of the season – as a result of his knee injury, the Jazz will be under even more pressure to acquire another forward or wing if they want to have a chance to seriously contend for a title this season.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman considers what Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s right ankle injury means for the Thunder in both the short- and long-term. The team will get an extended look at rookie Josh Giddey as the primary creator on offense, with Ty Jerome, Theo Maledon, and Tre Mann playing increased roles. Oklahoma City also could see its lottery odds increase, given how poorly the club has played without Gilgeous-Alexander this season.
Malik Beasley‘s last five games have been a microcosm of his season as a whole — the Timberwolves wing scored 26 points on 9-of-18 shooting in Phoenix on Friday, but put up a total of 17 points on 7-of-31 shooting in the other four contests. As Chris Hine of The Star Tribune writes, Minnesota badly needs to see Friday’s version of Beasley more often. “It’s on him now,” head coach Chris Finch said. “He’s got to have the right approach. He’s got to stay confident and it’s on him. Opportunity is never going to be the issue. Never going to be the issue.”
The Nuggets have been impressed with the growth they’ve seen from rookie Bones Hyland, who has been given more ball-handling responsibilities on the team’s second unit, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post. “I’m proud of Bones,” head coach Michael Malone said. “Going out there, playing with great pace, making plays for his teammates, taking the open shot, guarding, competing, and that’s what you want to see from a young player like that who’s got so much potential in front of him.” Hyland’s play has helped Denver remain in contention while Jamal Murray recovers from ACL surgery.

Joe Ingles To Undergo MRI On Injured Knee

January 30th, 2022 at 8:37pm CST by JD Shaw

Jazz forward Joe Ingles will undergo an MRI on his injured left knee on Monday, according to Adrian Wojnrarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Wojnarowski adds (via Twitter) that the team fears he has suffered a significant injury.

Ingles’ left knee buckled during the club’s game against Minnesota on Sunday. He was helped off the floor after recording two rebounds and three assists in just over 12 minutes.

The Jazz are already playing without Donovan Mitchell (concussion), Rudy Gobert (calf) and Trent Forrest (ankle). The team also lost head coach Quin Snyder and forward Danuel House to protocols on Sunday. Utah is 30-20 on the season and 2-8 in its last 10 games.

Ingles has played a regular rotation role for the Jazz this season, averaging 7.4 points and 2.9 rebounds in 25.2 minutes per game. He’s started in 14 of those 44 games to this point.

Jazz Have Interest In Robert Covington

January 24th, 2022 at 1:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Trail Blazers forward Robert Covington is drawing trade interest from the Jazz, league sources tell veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein.

Utah, known to be on the lookout for a defensive upgrade on the wing, has been linked to Jerami Grant, who is the team’s “preferred target,” according to Stein. However, the Pistons aren’t expected to be interested in a Jazz offer consisting of Joe Ingles‘ expiring contract and a future first-round pick.

Like Grant, Covington is a solid, versatile defender with the size to match up against bigger wings and forwards, but he’s not a dynamic offensive player and he’s in the final year of his contract with the Blazers, so he’s unlikely to cost as much in a trade as Grant would.

That makes Covington a more realistic target for the Jazz, whose trade assets are limited — they don’t really have the sort of promising young prospects who would generate major trade interest, and they’ve already parted with a pair of future first-round picks. Their conditional 2026 first-rounder is the earliest one they could put on the table.

Since arriving in Portland, Covington is averaging just 8.2 PPG in 113 games (30.9 MPG), which would be his lowest scoring average since his rookie year in 2013/14. He’s still contributing in plenty of other ways though, knocking down 37.1% of his threes, grabbing 6.2 rebounds per game, and providing 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks per contest.

Covington is expected to be on the trade block in the coming weeks, since the 20-26 Blazers – who will be without Damian Lillard for at least several more weeks – are motivated to shake up their roster and will perhaps try to sneak below the luxury tax line. For what it’s worth, any swap involving only Covington, Ingles, and draft assets wouldn’t get them closer to that second goal, since Ingles’ cap hit ($13.04MM) is slightly higher than Covington’s ($12.98MM).

Trade Rumors: Simmons, T. Harris, Magic, Wolves, Cavs

January 11th, 2022 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

After reporting last week that the Sixers‘ preferred outcome would be to have Ben Simmons play for the team this season and then revisit his trade market in the offseason, Marc Stein said in his latest Substack article that teams around the NBA are skeptical about that stance. As Stein notes, it could be a negotiating ploy to try to get potential trade partners to improve their offers, since the odds of Simmons acquiescing to Philadelphia’s wishes and reporting to the team this season still appear extremely slim.

Stein also reported last week that the Hawks are a team to watch in the Simmons sweepstakes, a subject that ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Marc J. Spears discussed in the latest episode of Windhorst’s Hoop Collective podcast.

As RealGM relays, Windhorst and Spears have both heard the Sixers are exploring the concept of attaching Tobias Harris to Simmons in any deal. Theoretically, those two players could produce a greater trade return than Simmons on his own, but Harris’ shooting numbers are down this year and his contract isn’t exactly team-friendly — he and Simmons are earning a combined $69MM this season, which would create salary-matching complications.

According to Spears, the Hawks were more interested in discussing just Simmons than trying to construct a deal that also included Harris.

Here are a few more trade rumors and notes from across the league:

Rival executives have said the Magic are shopping veteran wings Gary Harris and Terrence Ross, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. However, those execs remain unsure what Orlando’s plan is for Mohamed Bamba, who is playing well this season. Bamba will be eligible for restricted free agency in the summer and Orlando has already signed another young center – Wendell Carter Jr. – to a long-term extension.
HoopsHype relays a pair of Timberwolves tidbits, noting that Darren Wolfson said on his The Scoop w/Doogie podcast that Minnesota has talked to the Pacers about Myles Turner. Appearing on the same podcast with Wolfson, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst suggested that the Wolves have offered virtually whatever pieces they can besides Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards to the Sixers for Ben Simmons.
Identifying possible trade targets for the Cavaliers outside of Caris LeVert, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link) named Celtics guard Dennis Schröder, Jazz forward Joe Ingles, and Raptors guard Goran Dragic as some players that will likely pique Cleveland’s interest. Fedor also mentioned Kyle Anderson, though he cautioned that he’s not sure whether the Grizzlies would move Anderson.