Former Los Angeles Lakers No. 2 pick Brandon Ingram could be on the move again this offseason. Because the New Orleans Pelicans haven’t progressed much since acquiring him, execs believe he may be on a new team.
HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto revealed how those around the league feel about Ingram’s trade availability.
“Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram is considered the most likely player to be traded by rival executives who spoke with HoopsHype,” Scotto wrote in a May 10 story. “Those executives believe the fit with Ingram and Zion isn’t ideal on the court. With Ingram entering the final season of his contract at $36 million, he’s been a trade candidate before, but he’s a prime trade candidate now.”
Since the Lakers traded him, Ingram has made one All-Star team in 2020. In his five years with the Pelicans, they’ve made the playoffs twice. Many of their struggles have been due to injuries, among other reasons.
The Lakers originally drafted Ingram with the No. 2 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. He will enter the last year of a five-year, $158 million contract with the Pelicans when the 2024-25 season starts.
Analyst Says Brandon Ingram is on ‘Wrong Team’
Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz wrote a May 8 story explaining why certain stars, including Ingram are on the wrong team. Swartz delved into why he believes Ingram is not on the right team.
“The Brandon Ingram-Zion Williamson partnership hasn’t worked well enough for the New Orleans Pelicans to keep them together, especially with Ingram going into the final year of his contract.
“New Orleans had a net rating of only plus-2.2 in the 2,239 total possessions that Ingram and Williamson shared the floor this season. The Pelicans’ two most-used lineups with both players had negative net ratings.”
Swartz also explained the kind of team Ingram would fit with compared to the Pelicans.
“Ingram can still be the 1A option on an offense. He’s a 6’8” wing who’s lethal from mid-range, is a good enough three-point shooter to draw a defense out and is an above-average passer (5.7 assists against 2.5 turnovers per game this season). New Orleans’ starting frontcourt of Williamson and Jonas Valančiūnas doesn’t offer much spacing, however.
“Ingram would thrive with more shooters and a true point guard around him. Lots of teams can use a tall, offensively gifted wing to help run their offense. At 26, Ingram’s best years are still ahead of him as well.”
Swartz concluded by saying that the Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, and Indiana Pacers were the best fits for him.
Brandon Ingram Had ‘Minor Exchange’ With Willie Green
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported a skirmish between Ingram and Pelicans head coach Willie Green in a May 8 newsletter.
“League sources tell me that Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram and coach Willie Green had a minor exchange in the locker room during Game 2 of the team’s first-round series with the Thunder, with Ingram essentially telling Green he wanted the ball and wanted the coach to help facilitate that.”
This could spell the end of Ingram’s time with the Pelicans. While a potential Lakers reunion would be easy to envision, making that work financially would be difficult.
