Minnesota Timberwolves fans are well aware of how Chris Finch likes to operate with the roster he currently has. His rotation has seldom gone above eight players, which has been a bit frustrating for those eager to see some of the younger, unproven guys get some run.
Of course, recently, the ninth player in the rotation has been Josh Minott, who has come in and really showcased his improvement on both sides of the basketball. But if you recall, that ninth man role was held earlier in the season by Joe Ingles.
If it feels like it's been a while since you saw Ingles step on the floor in a Wolves uniform, it's because your feelings are correct. As of this writing, Ingles' last game action was on November 17, in Minnesota's home win over the Phoenix Suns. In that contest, he played less than one minute of game time and recorded one assist as his only measurable statistic.
After that game, Ingles missed 13 contests in a row due to a left soleus strain. He was officially removed from the injury report and made available to play again on December 27, when the Timberwolves faced the Houston Rockets on the road.
Ingles hasn't played in nearly two months
In the five games since then, he has not sniffed the floor. It is looking more and more like the possibility exists that we have seen the last of Joe Ingles in a Timberwolves uniform. For the time being, it seems that Finch may be more comfortable with Minott operating in Ingles' former role.
When Minnesota acquired Joe this past summer, many saw the move as a response to the free agency departure of Kyle Anderson. It was reasonable to think that Ingles could essentially take most of the minutes that were being vacated by Slo-Mo. But the reality has been quite different from that expectation.
In total, Ingles has played 28 minutes across six games this season, with an average of just 3.7 minutes per outing. That is a big change from the 17.2 minutes he averaged in 68 contests with the Orlando Magic last season. Joe's injury unfortunately served to turn him from a fringe-rotation player into basically a non-factor.
There simply does not seem to be a lot of on-court use for Ingles at the moment in Minnesota. If any suitors are inquiring about him as a veteran presence ahead of the trade deadline, you'd have to think the Timberwolves would not hesitate to oblige in trading or waiving him.