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This is really been a wild first 24 hours, hasn’t it? NBA Free Agency is in full swing and lots of players are getting PAID! The Golden State Warriors are paying Stephen Curry $201 MILLION over five years. Jrue Holiday got $126 M from the New Olreans Pelicans. Jeff Teague accepted a $57 M for three deal form the Minnesota Timberwolves. Even Patrick Mills is getting paid $50 M from the San Antonio Spurs, and he deserves it. You know who else deserves a raise? None other than the Utah Jazz jack of all trades Joe Ingles. Ingles has done everything from defend Eastern conference stretch fours in the regular season to defend point guards in the NBA Playoffs. He passes, plays defense, gets steals, and makes threes.
And lots of GMs #TookNote of that.
Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post dropped this non-Wojbomb yesterday:
Specifically, hearing Ingles could have an offer in the 4-year, $60 million range from the Orlando Magic. If so, hard to see Utah matching.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) July 1, 2017
Okay, we see you Orlando Magic.
The actual Woj had this minibomb later last night as well.
Utah's Joe Ingles has yet to start negotiations with any team, agent Mark Bartelstein tells ESPN. Starts taking... https://t.co/b4Ou76nRye
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2017
Okay, so he hasn’t actually started talking with anyone yet; but it’s a moot point as a Restricted Free Agent. The Utah Jazz tendered him a qualifying offer, so they can match anything he gets on the open market. Also, they have pretty much stated that they will match anything he gets on the open market.
Of course, that’s not to say that Dennis Lindsey and company aren’t ALSO working on an actual deal to sign him; so he doesn’t have to sign elsewhere first and then get matched.
Not only does it save a week, it frees up some of the cap holds if DL does this faster. I expect Ingles to be making starter money, as he finished the season as precisely that - the starting shooting guard. That means something in the $45 million for 3 years range as a base. Orlando’s deal is cheaper than I thought he’d be offered on the open market.
Utah can get him; but it precipitates other moves. I don’t know if you can be paying bench guys $12 million (Derrick Favors) and $11 million (Alec Burks) when the cap is only $99 million - while your main star Gordon Hayward is still unsigned. But what do I know? This free agency period has been a surprise.
I’m just happy we have Ricky Rubio. Quickly sign Ingles, lock Hayward down, and then make moves for Paul Millsap and Milos Teodosic and trade everyone else who doesn’t matter to Rudy Gobert.
#WesternConferenceArmsRace
But, yes, the first step is to re-sign Ingles. Or match him. Do whatever it takes.