The New Orleans Pelicans have shown little interest in trading small forward Brandon Ingram, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
Ingram signed a five-year, $158.3 million contract with the Pelicans in November 2020.
“So that leaves Brandon Ingram or Zion Williamson in this thought experiment,” Fischer wrote. “New Orleans staffers always speak philosophically about no player being ‘untouchable,’ but the Pelicans have shown little interest in parting with Ingram at this juncture, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
“With Williamson’s health history, New Orleans has had to pragmatically consider alternatives for the Pelicans’ long-term roster construction, especially under harsher tax penalties in the league’s new CBA. New Orleans, though, still fondly remembers standing first in the Western Conference when this roster was fully available last season. It sounds like the No. 2 or No. 3 pick in this draft would merely be the starting point to meet New Orleans’ valuation of Williamson, all his possible downside entering a five-year, $194 million contract be damned.”
Ingram averaged 24.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists for the Pelicans in 2022-23 while shooting 48.4% from the field, 39.0% from beyond the arc and 88.2% from the free-throw. However, the one-time All-Star only appeared in 45 games, and according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com, Ingram’s inability to play through minor discomfort has frustrated some of his teammates.
“Ingram has sometimes seemed unwilling to play through minor discomfort, to the point where some of his teammates have become frustrated with him over the past two years,” Clark wrote. “The Pelicans thought they had solved their player care and performance problem by hiring Nelson. Four years later, Nelson’s time in charge of the department is over.”
The Pelicans missed the playoffs this year after making it in 2022. They lost the 9-10 play-in game at home to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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