Joe Ingles
The rather hefty contract that Joe Ingles signed this offseason was nothing short of controversial among Utah Jazz fans. Many felt that four years, $52 million for a player who had only barely cracked the starting lineup and had been little more than a glue guy (albeit a very effective one) was dishing out more cash than he was worth.
I can see some merit to that opinion, but I was honestly in the opposite camp and in support of Ingles’ contract. Not only has he been an exceptional role player for the Jazz, made the team better with all the intangibles he brings, been an excellent locker room presence, become an improved defender and been nothing but loyal to the Jazz, but he’s also on a descending contract which makes him more and more affordable as time goes by.
Utah had little else to spend their money on this summer, especially once Gordon Hayward bid the team adieu, so paying Ingles a little more up front to have some extra flexibility in the future was a nice move. However, he (like much of the Jazz team) has faced his struggles this season, thus other teams may not see his contract as all that appealing.
I still think that Ingles has plenty of value, though. Even with recent struggles, he’s shooting 43.3 percent from three, and while he hasn’t impressed as much this year as last, he still brings a lot of positives to the table. If the Jazz are looking to bring back some decent value in a trade, including Ingles might actually get them somewhere even if some opponents are hesitant about his contract matching up with his actual worth on the basketball court.
Nevertheless, based on how much the Jazz have loved having Ingles as a member of the team and how much he’s expressed his love of playing in Utah, I seriously doubt they’ll look to move him. That kind of loyalty is often overlooked in other markets, but it’s become quite crucial for the Jazz.
Not only that, but I think Jazz brass, including Coach Snyder, values what Ingles brings to the team more than other teams might. He has a lot of useful tools that fit the team’s mantra and Utah would likely be very hard-pressed to get back the right pieces in return by moving Ingles.
Therefore, while I don’t think Ingles is untouchable by any means, I think his pros in Utah outweigh what he could net the Jazz in return in a transaction. He’s surely one of the Jazz’s better pieces, but I wouldn’t count on him being moved in a deadline deal this season.
Verdict: Tradable and valuable despite a questionable contract, but unlikely to be moved