Blockbuster trade proposal sends Pelicans stud to East contender for All-Star big man

Fortunately for the Pelicans, Williamson was available for most of the season to help them compete for a playoff spot. However, the former number one pick was sidelined with an injury before their series against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. With him gone, the team relied on other players to create opportunities and get the offense going.

Unfortunately, Ingram didn’t answer the call and wasn’t even a factor to help NOLA get some wins. Over the course of four games, the former Los Angeles Lakers stat only tallied 14.3 points on 34 percent shooting from the field, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. This is a far cry from the player New Orleans hoped he could be when Ingram was acquired by the franchise in 2019.

New Orleans Pelicans Trade Brandon Ingram To Cleveland Cavaliers For Jarrett Allen In Wild Proposal

Thanks to Ingram’s poor play, rumors have surfaced that the Pelicans are going to trade him in the offseason. In an article by Grant Hughes for Bleacher Report, the ideal trade proposal is exchanging him for Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen.

“Mitchell and Garland’s lack of size presents defensive challenges. Swapping out Allen for Ingram could exacerbate those by removing a rim-protector and rebounder from the floor. But it also appears clear that the Cavs were held back most—during the regular season and playoffs—by their inability to score. Ingram could relieve a great deal of the spacing crunch that produced Cleveland’s No. 18 offensive rating, even if he’s not known as a high-volume three-point shooter.

With Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones emerging as better fits next to Zion Williamson in New Orleans, the Pelicans can justify swapping out Ingram for a big man who’ll defend the paint and control the boards,” Hughes wrote.

In a way this trade proposal makes a lot of sense for both teams. The Cavs gain a reliable option on offense apart from All-Star Donovan Mitchell while NOLA gets a credible defensive ace in Allen while giving more opportunities for Williamson to run the offense.

It remains to be seen where Ingram and Allen will end up after the offseason is done. What’s certain is that the Pelicans must act now or see the former’s value go down even further.