Even if he had considered this option, the exchange involving Joe Ingles will remain as one of the surprises of the “trade deadline”. Victim of a ruptured ligament in his left knee, the Australian finally served as a bargaining chip to allow Utah to recover Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
A double shock for the player, between his rehabilitation which began on Wednesday after his operation in Chicago, and this new life as a Blazers player which presents itself to him. The Aussie addressed both topics for ‘The Zone Sports Network’, starting with an update on his medical condition.
“When we talk about rehabilitation, it’s still very basic in those early days. Whether it’s moving my ankle, and obviously moving my knee a bit.”, did he declare. “I’m going to go home to Utah on Saturday and start rehabilitation there. I hired probably the best physical therapist outside of Jazz. So I’m going to call on him, then I’ll go back and forth between Utah and Portland.
A brief stop in Portland before the “free agency”?
The time of his rehabilitation will also serve him to digest his departure from Utah, his favorite franchise in which he has been playing since 2014. Inevitably, the shock was harsh, also in view of the change in status between Utah, which plays the title and a Portland formation under reconstruction.
“There were a lot of feelings and even the day it happened I was sitting there with Renae, and the kids, just trying to figure it all out because I never, honestly, never thought we would go through it”he added. “I’m not saying the Jazz shouldn’t have traded me or anything, we’re just getting to know that side of the business. No matter how close I was to people, the relationships we built, the work we did for the community or whatever, if it’s better for a team, they’re going to do it.
To cheer himself up, Joe Ingles will be able to eye the next “free agency” since he will be an unprotected “free agent” at the end of the season. An experience that could still be thwarted by his injury, since he should not be able to play again before 2023. A return to Utah would be possible?
“I’m not going to say that I want to come back to the Jazz or that I want to be with Portland or that I want to go to anyone, anywhere. I’m just going to leave all options open, and I’ll listen to whoever wants to talk to me.”
| Joe Ingles | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2014-15 | UTH | 79 | 21 | 41.5 | 35.6 | 75.0 | 0.3 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 5.0 |
| 2015-16 | UTH | 81 | 15 | 42.6 | 38.6 | 72.2 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 4.2 |
| 2016-17 | UTH | 82 | 24 | 45.2 | 44.1 | 73.5 | 0.3 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 2.7 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 7.1 |
| 2017-18 | UTH | 82 | 31 | 46.7 | 44.0 | 79.5 | 0.3 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 0.2 | 11.5 |
| 2018-19 | UTH | 82 | 31 | 44.8 | 39.1 | 70.7 | 0.4 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 5.7 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 2.4 | 0.2 | 12.1 |
| 2019-20 | UTH | 72 | 30 | 44.5 | 39.9 | 78.7 | 0.4 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 5.2 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 2.0 | 0.2 | 9.8 |
| 2020-21 | UTH | 67 | 28 | 48.9 | 45.1 | 84.4 | 0.4 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 4.8 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 1.8 | 0.2 | 12.1 |
| 2021-22 | UTH | 45 | 25 | 40.4 | 34.7 | 77.3 | 0.3 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 7.2 |
| Total | 590 | 26 | 44.9 | 40.8 | 76.8 | 0.3 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 8.6 | |
