On Sunday, January 30, Utah Jazz iron man Joe Ingles slipped driving to the basket, planting his leg in an awkward direction and experiencing a rushing pain to his knee. The wingman had to be helped off the floor and was later reported to have torn his left ACL, abruptly ending his season and putting his future with the team in jeopardy.
It was rumored that the Jazz, who slid down the Western Conference after an unfortunate 4-12 month-long stretch, were thinking of dealing the high-cost veteran in order to bolster their roster.
Now, that opportunity is completely wiped off the table and the organization must feel gutted for even considering trading such a reliable piece of their core.
Since landing a contract with Utah in 2014, Ingles has managed to miss only 25 games due to injury/illness in eight years! He’s been a scrappy soldier, unselfish with his role, magnificent on the floor, and a winner during crunch time. But sadly, his presence on the court must be replaced as the Jazz continue to push forward with championship aspirations.
Australian swingman Joe Ingles was an integral part of the Utah Jazz’s success, but after his recent fall in Minnesota, the front office will need to find a replacement the best they can.
Finding someone to fill in for Ingles won’t be easy because he fits the model of a “glue guy”. He hasn’t been one of the main reasons for his team’s success and he doesn’t post spectacular numbers very often, but he’s a perfect complement for the leading players.
He elevates the team to an elite level. P.J. Tucker was a “glue guy” for the NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks and now he’s filling in that same role in Miami; other examples include the Warriors’ Andre Iguodala and formerly the Raptors’ and Lakers’ Danny Green.
Aside from being a “glue guy”, Ingles (7.2 points, 3.5 assists per game, and an uncharacteristically-low 34.7percent from deep on 5.0 attempts) provided many valuable attributes to the Jazz, making the task of replacing him even more challenging.
The first is being a marksman, both off-the-catch and off-the-dribble. The dynamic inside-out backcourt of Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell and ferocious center Rudy Gobert have thrived being able to attack in a spread offense, but they have also benefitted tremendously due to being able to dish out to Ingles out of desperation for a three-pointer.
He’s splashed with 41 percent accuracy on 5.3 attempts over the last three years, ascending the pass-happy Jazz to a top-five offense and top-five three-point unit during this time.
The second is being a wing defender – tough to pass by on-the-dribble and tougher to get jump shots over. Ingles hasn’t been an active source of steals or blocked shots (those are produced by the trio mentioned above), yet he has filled in with what the box score hides by taking on tough assignments and tiring out star wings.
He’s mentally strong, never looks intimidated, and is relentless in one-on-one situations, trying to force shot clock violations. Plus, he’s stocky, bruising with the more athletic players with ease.
The third is being a secondary distributor – always able to fill in for a guard and make plays that lead to good shot attempts. While never taking over the offense completely, Ingles has made major contributions as a passer, threading the needle for cutters down low and dishing the ball into the shooting pocket of snipers. He has remarkable vision and plays a brilliant brand of basketball, leading to an average of 4.6 assists over the past three years as a “sixth starter.”
Utah is in a pretty steep financial hole, making it difficult for them to find an Ingles-like player on the cheap. However, the front office have proven to be wise, and aggressive traders, shown through the successful acquisitions of Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson.
There is luckily a long list of sellers in this year’s trade market, so the Jazz will just have to find a match they’re willing to pay for. Here are 5 trade targets for the Jazz to replace Joe Ingles, with consideration of their payroll and commitment to winning right now.