Milwaukee Bucks adding former Jazz sharp-shooter Joe Ingles in free agency

The Milwaukee Bucks added a sharpshooter on Thursday by agreeing in principle to a one-year, $6.5 million deal with Joe Ingles. It is a significant agreement for the Bucks in that it uses up their entire taxpayer midlevel exception, which was one of the few ways the team had to fill out its roster as a luxury tax team.

By contrast, the team spread its exception last year among three players.

Any free agent signing cannot become official until July 6, as the NBA entered its “moratorium” period at 5 p.m. Thursday. Teams can agree to trades and contracts, but no deals outside of a select few can be signed. It is possible for players or teams to change their minds on an agreement in this period.

The 6-foot, 8-inch, 228-pound Ingles joined the Utah Jazz in Jazz in 2014 and shot 40.8% from behind the three-point line in his eight-year career there.

Ingles suffered a torn left anterior cruciate ligament in late January and the Journal Sentinel learned that the soon-to-be 35-year-old will not be available to play at the beginning of the regular season, but that his rehabilitation is going well enough for the Bucks to feel good about making the move to bring him in.

Bobby Portis news:Bobby Portis agrees in principle to re-sign with Milwaukee Bucks for 4 years, $49 million

Wes Matthews news:Milwaukee Bucks retain backcourt depth by re-signing ex-Marquette star Wesley Matthews

In the early throes of free agency reporting after the window opened at 5 p.m., Ingles' wife Renae was one of the first to tweet the impending move to the Midwest.

Renae Ingles joked "sources very close to" Ingles could confirm that he had signed a one-year deal with the Bucks. "Joe himself, is said to be very bucking happy," she added.

Ingles is one of the 25 best three-point shooters by percentage in NBA history, and was runner up for the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award behind teammate Jordan Clarkson in 2020-21.

The native of Canberra, Australia, has scored 8.6 points per game in his career, with 3.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists. Those numbers were slightly down in 45 games that he played last year with the Jazz. He's a career 44.9% shooter, including that 40.8% mark from three-point range, though just 34.7% from deep last year, his weakest career season by far.

Ingles told ESPN he had no doubt his career would continue after the tear.

"Then the other part of it — and we joke about it — is my game," Ingles said. "My game has never been based on athleticism, above the rim or anything like that. I'm not writing off what this surgery is and what the rehab looks like, but everyone around the league knows how I play and what I can do."

Pat Connaughton news:Pat Connaughton opts in to return to the Milwaukee Bucks for the 2022-23 season

Jevon Carter news:Milwaukee Bucks retain more of their own by re-signing defensive-minded guard Jevon Carter

Jim Owczarski can be reached at jowczarski@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JimOwczarski