Joe Ingles Plans To Join Melbourne United Next Season

Timberwolves wing Joe Ingles is still in the NBA playoffs but he’s already made plans to play in his native Australia next season. Ingles is expected to finish his career there by signing with Melbourne United for the next NBL season, multiple sources told ESPN’s Olgun Uluc.

Ingles is playing on a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal with Minnesota.

Uluc reported earlier this month that Ingles was aiming to return to Australia. Ingles drew interest from both Melbourne-based teams — United and the South East Melbourne Phoenix. The Adelaide 36ers were also among his suitors. Ingles began his professional career in the NBL with the now-defunct South Dragons in 2006.

Ingles has represented his country for many years on the international stage, suiting up for the Australian Boomers in five Olympics, including Paris in 2024.

He will be 39 by the time the 2026/27 NBL season begins but with his NBA experience, elite three-point shooting, positional size, and ability as a creator, he could still have an impact in the Australian league. Ingles has been at the end of the Timberwolves’ bench for the last two seasons.

He has appeared in 19 games last season and 27 this season. He never played more than nine minutes in his first 25 appearances this season before an April 8 stint against Orlando in which he contributed seven points, four rebounds and four assists. He got a chance to play 32 minutes against New Orleans in the regular season finale and racked up 15 points, 10 assists and six rebounds.

Ingles made a cameo in Minnesota’s Game 3 victory over Denver on Thursday that gave the Timberwolves a 2-1 in the first-round series.

in 750 career regular-season contests, Ingles has averaged 7.7 points, 3.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 23.5 minutes. He’s a career 40.9 percent 3-point shooter who had his best seasons with Utah during his first eight years in the league.