According to NBA insider Zach Lowe of ESPN, the New Orleans Pelicans are not close to trading Brandon Ingram. While the Pelicans are open to trading Ingram, who is in the final year of his contract, no imminent deal appears to be in the works.
“I haven’t really heard much buzz that the Pelicans are psyched about giving him that massive of an extension,” Lowe said on his podcast. “I also haven’t heard much buzz about Brandon Ingram being traded anywhere imminently.”
Ingram averaged 20.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game in the 2023-24 season while shooting 49.2% from the field, 35.5% from beyond the arc, and 80.1% from the free-throw line. His career averages stand at 19.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.6 blocks, playing for both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Pelicans. Ingram was awarded the Most Improved Player of the Year in the 2019-20 season.
NBA insider Marc Stein reported that Ingram’s camp is seeking a contract worth $210 million.
“Ingram, with one All-Star appearance on his resume, has only one season left on his current contract and is said to be seeking a four-year contract extension worth nearly $210 million,” Stein wrote. “The Pelicans have made it clear that they won’t go to those lengths to re-sign him and, while various teams have explored Ingram trades since the offseason began in earnest, no other team willing to sign the 26-year-old at those numbers has yet emerged … with league sources saying that Ingram’s camp has also joined the efforts to find one.”
Ingram is set to make $36 million next season. The Pelicans have not won a playoff series since acquiring Ingram from the Lakers.
This offseason, New Orleans made a significant move by acquiring All-Star guard Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks. Should Ingram remain with the Pelicans, he will join Murray, Zion Williamson, and CJ McCollum to form the team’s “Big 4.”
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