3 Milwaukee Bucks free agents likeliest to be back next season

3- Joe Ingles

If anybody needed a bounce-back year, it was Joe Ingles.

Coming off ACL surgery, Ingles didn’t make his debut for the Bucks until December 19 and ended up suiting up for 46 games this season.

What Ingles provides for the Bucks is invaluable; a playmaker, ball handler, and a sensational passer. Milwaukee didn’t have a guy like Joe Ingles in the 2022 postseason against Boston, and having another guy on the floor who can create for other guys would have helped in that series.

Ingles had a tough series defensively, specifically staying in front of Jimmy Butler, but he shot 50 percent from three; he did his job in terms of helping Milwaukee stretch the floor.

Milwaukee should re-sign veteran guys who play selfless basketball. In Game 5, I watched a team play selfish basketball.

Keeping Ingles is important for Milwaukee because he’s a player who makes the extra pass, never plays outside of his game, and is consistent, which is something that Milwaukee didn’t do enough of offensively in Game 5.

Milwaukee needs to keep guys who play with an edge. Bobby Portis, Ingles, and Jae Crowder fit that description. Those three helped embody the city of Milwaukee by being willing to do the dirty work to help make the Bucks who they are.

What Ingles did for the Milwaukee Bucks this year can’t be found anywhere else, and it would be a massive mistake for Jon Horst to let him walk in free agency.

It’ll be interesting to see who will be in a Milwaukee Bucks uniform next season.