By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Five-time Olympian and 12-year NBA veteran Joe Ingles plans to join Melbourne United ahead of the 2026-27 NBL season, according to a report by ESPN’s Olgun Uluc on Saturday.
Confirming rumors of recent weeks, the 38-year-old forward, who is engaged in a 2026 NBA Playoffs, presented by Google, campaign with the Minnesota Timberwolves, is expected to finalize the deal with United once his current commitments are complete.
Throughout the 2025-26 Regular Season, he appeared in 27 games for the Wolves, contributing a veteran presence before adding to his extensive postseason resume.
Despite going undrafted in 2009, Ingles entered the league in 2014 and built a career spanning 808 regular-season games and 58 playoff appearances across tenures with the Utah Jazz, Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, and Minnesota. His legacy is headlined by his time in Utah, where he remains the franchise’s all-time leader in three-pointers made, having famously surpassed John Stockton’s record in 2021.
Beyond the NBA, the Australian swingman achieved significant international success, winning a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague championship with Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv in 2014 and appearing in 95 games in Europe’s premier competition between 2010 and 2014.
On the global stage, the Adelaide native has been a cornerstone for the senior national team of Australia from 2008 to 2024. His five Olympic appearances included a historic bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Games, marking the first-ever Olympic medal for the Boomers.
This move signifies a full-circle moment for one of Australia’s most decorated icons.