Australian swingman Joe Ingles has parlayed a fine showing at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup into a contract with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Ingles has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Clippers after attracting the interest of several NBA teams with his strong play in Spain, league sources told ESPN.com.
Clippers coach and team president Doc Rivers has signed a number of small forwards in recent months and, sources say, is adding Ingles to the mix in hopes he can help strengthen L.A. at that position.
ESPN.com reported earlier ‎this month that the 6-foot-8 Ingles had emerged as a virtual lock to land in the league this season after strongly considering a jump to the NBA following similar success for Australia at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
The Philadelphia 76ers were also among the teams pursuing Ingles, sources said, which was no surprise given that Sixers coach Brett Brown coached Australia at the 2012 Games.
The 26-year-old, who plays small forward and shooting guard, spent last season at Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel under new Cleveland Cavaliers coach David Blatt. The Memphis Grizzlies tried hard to sign Ingles in the summer of 2013 -- at the behest of Ingles' former Barcelona teammate Marc Gasol -- but he opted to spend one additional season in Europe before making the jump to the NBA.
‎Luxury-tax concerns kept the Grizzlies from making an aggressive second attempt to sign Ingles because they're a mere $1.2 million under the tax threshold for next season.
