Could Patty Mills and Joe Ingles be on the verge of an NBL homecoming?

Patty Mills and Joe Ingles have both carved out decade-plus careers in the NBA, but now are approaching their late thirties. Could we see them in NBL soon?

When looking back on Australian players who have graced the NBA hardwood, few players have accomplished more than Patty Mills or Joe Ingles.

The two Boomers stalwarts have enjoyed long NBA careers extending beyond the past decade, and are now approaching their late 30s. Mills played close to 100 playoff games and won a championship with San Antonio in 2014, while Ingles enjoyed several playoff runs of his own, mostly with the Utah Jazz. But time inevitably caught up, and they now find themselves on the fringes of two talented NBA rosters - Mills with the Los Angeles Clippers, and Ingles with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Mills’ shooting struggles from the 2023-24 season carried over into 2024-25, after he joined a rebuilding Utah Jazz team. The 36 year old shot 34% from the field in 17 appearances for the Jazz, while averaging just 15.3 minutes of playing time. His fortunes have improved since joining the Clippers, with a shooting clip of 50% from the field and from downtown, albeit on a small sample size of 12 appearances. The shifty point guard has also seen a reduction in his playing time, to five minutes per game, on a stacked Clippers roster currently ranked fifth in the Western conference.

At this point in his career, Mills’ value to an organisation goes well beyond his average of four points per game. The veteran brings a wealth of experience and off-court leadership, with professional attributes that underpin his locker room presence.

Similarly, Ingles is in his 19th year as a professional, of which 11 have been in the NBA. The 37 year old has only played sporadically for Minnesota, with an average of six minutes per game across nineteen games. In those limited appearances, Ingles has struggled to replicate his efficient shooting from previous seasons, scoring at a 26% clip from the field and 20% from beyond the arc. Like Mills, Ingles largely brings veteran leadership to a contending roster, which is led by 23 year old shooting guard Anthony Edwards.

The value of veteran leadership can never be discounted in the NBA. This was evident when Matthew Dellavedova earned an NBA recall in 2022-23 with the Sacramento Kings, after he appeared destined to see out his remaining playing days in Australia. However, off-court value is ultimately trumped by on-court production.