What Joe Ingles said after being traded to the Portland Trail Blazers

Joe Ingles is no longer a member of the Utah Jazz, and to hear him tell it there is real pain in that.

Ingles was part of a three-team trade reported Wednesday, where the Jazz sent Ingles and Elijah Hughes to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for the San Antonio Spurs’ Juancho Hernangomez and the Trail Blazers’ Nickeil Alexander-Walker (a pair of future Jazz second round picks are also on the way out, and Portland sent Tomáš Satoranský to San Antonio as part of the deal).

Ingles was a member of the Jazz for seven and a half seasons, after being signed in 2014 as an undrafted free agent. He became an invaluable member of the team, in addition to a fan favorite.

On Wednesday evening, Ingles expressed a few of his feelings in the aftermath of the trade, with the promise of more thoughts to come.

“Today hurts... I knew it was a possibility but didn’t want to believe it,” Ingles wrote on Twitter. “We have been lucky to call this place home for eight years! I got a lot more to say, but I’m going to have a beer and relax with some good friends. Go get a win fellas! I’ll always be watching.”

Ingles’ wife Renae Ingles also expressed her feelings, difficult as it was.

“Appreciate the love and support — from near and far,” she wrote. “Today is so sad. I don’t have the words to put together just yet. Incredibly grateful for the last eight years here as part of the Jazz family and Utah community. Focus is Joe’s knee and rehab. Deeply saddened and thankful for you all.”

Emotions weren’t limited to only the Ingles. Jazz head coach Quin Snyder told media before the team’s game against the Golden State Warriors that, “Today’s a tough day with Joe’s situation and I can’t articulate how much he’s meant to this organization and to me personally.”

Utah Jazz All-Star center Rudy Gobert simply tweeted, “To be continued.”

Ingles tore his ACL during a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Jan. 31 and is in the final year of his contract (according to Spotrac, Ingles is making $13,036,364 this season).

On Feb. 4, Ingles told reporters that he has no immediate plans to retire, and he hopes to play in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

The Deseret News’ Sarah Todd reported that Ingles “knows that his immediate future is uncertain as far as his contract is concerned, (but) he’s not closing the door on returning to the Jazz in the future... Team sources have indicated that there will be options for Ingles to remain associated with the Jazz, even if that’s not as a player.”