Reactions to the Milwaukee Bucks signing free agent Joe Ingles

The Milwaukee Bucks began free agency by expectedly re-signing a trio of vets in Bobby Portis, Wesley Matthews, and Jevon Carter, but there was a surprise signing in there as well.

As first reported by Renae Ingles, her husband, Joe Ingles, is signing a one-year deal with the Bucks. Yahoo! Sports’ insider Chris Haynes followed that up by revealing that Ingles’ contract will be worth $6.5 million for the 2022-23 NBA season. On impact, this is a relatively complex move to assess, given that Ingles underwent ACL surgery last season, and it is unclear when he will hit the basketball court again. However, on the surface, the move has the potential to succeed.

Reactions to the Milwaukee Bucks signing free agent Joe Ingles

First and foremost, the most crucial factor here will be when Joe Ingles is able to return following a late February ACL surgery. The veteran will likely miss a sizeable portion of next season to recover, which is why some initially speculated that Ingles may have signed for the minimum. However, the Bucks are seemingly not worried as they went all out to bring him aboard by handing him quite the lucrative contract. The front office is willing to take the gamble that Ingles can eventually return to form down the line this season, and if they are correct, it will pay off in a big way, given what he is capable of bringing to the table.

The Bucks were destined to pursue more shooting this offseason after hitting just 32.7 percent of their threes in the 2022 NBA Playoffs. Joe Ingles will immediately provide some assistance in that regard, as the 34-year-old has proven to be one of the NBA’s best long distance shooters over the past few years, having sunk 40.8 percent of his career 3-point shots on 4.4 attempts per contest. Shooting like that will make Ingles a seamless fit in Mike Budenholzer’s system offensively, giving the coach another reputable outside shooter to put in lineups alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo to give him more room to work. Elsewhere, Ingles will provide more scoring and facilitating off the bench, having averaged 8.6 points and an eye-catching 3.8 assists per game for his career.

Due to Ingles’ ACL injury, it seems like the Bucks made this move with the long-term view in mind, which is the playoffs. If the veteran is ready to go by then, he could make a massive difference for this team due to his scoring, shooting, facilitating, and overall presence. While there are questions as to which version of Ingles the Bucks will get upon his eventual return, the veteran has always been known as a quality playoff performer. In 45 career playoff games, Ingles has solid averages of 9.8 points while shooting 39.2 percent from three on 5.4 attempts, 3.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. For a team looking to make a run at a title once again next year, adding an established role player like Ingles is a justifiable move, though the price may have some fans skeptical right away, which is also understandable.

The Milwaukee Bucks are showing their faith by signing Joe Ingles to a lucrative one-year deal, and time will tell how things pan out for the veteran.

Stay tuned to see what other moves the Milwaukee Bucks make in NBA free agency.