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Could the Pelicans swing a Brandon Ingram trade before the deadline? Here are three possible packages…
With the NBA Trade deadline less than a week away, NBA teams are contemplating how to improve their rosters, shed salary, obtain draft picks and set themselves up for future success.
The New Orleans Pelicans find themselves in an interesting situation. They could play the trade deadline a couple of different ways.
They are still within shouting distance of the 10th spot in the West, which would qualify them for the postseason tournament. Sitting several games below .500 is probably not where the franchise envisioned they would be, however. As a result, they might look to trade a cornerstone player like forward Brandon Ingram.
Ingram trade: Potential deals
Despite being in the league for 5 seasons already, Ingram is only 23 years old. He’s already been part of one blockbuster trade in his career so far, which saw Anthony Davis head west to the Los Angeles Lakers.
In that transaction, Ingram was more of an unknown quantity with a lot of potential. If he gets moved again, he’ll likely be the centerpiece in any deal he’s involved in.
Ingram has blossomed as an elite scorer in the NBA, but the jury is still out on whether or not he’s a winning player. He has not played in a postseason game so far in his career. The Pelicans might be wondering if they need someone with a little more experience to pair with Zion Williamson.
Ingram makes over $27 million this season, and his price tag is only set to increase for the next four years, which will make dealing him a challenge.
But teams like to take chances on top three talent, and there’s no denying that Ingram is one of the most skilled offensive players in the league. What are some Ingram trades that could make sense for the Pelicans and the team they could trade him to?
Make a Beal deal with Washington
This trade actually makes a ton of sense for both teams. Bradley Beal and Ingram’s salaries match up nicely over the next couple of years, which is one of the most critical factors in swinging a trade of this magnitude.
Despite their efforts, the Wizards have not been able to be a consistent formidable threat with Beal and whichever dynamic point guard he’s been paired with. This season has not gone much better, as the Wizards find themselves 13th in the Eastern Conference.
Landing Ingram, who is four years younger than Beal, would be a great building block for Washington as they embark on a rebuild. Conversely, the 27 year old Beal, who does have some playoff experience and provides better outside shooting than Ingram, would be an ideal fit with the Pelicans. Ingram is still learning on the job with regards to becoming a winning player, and a fresh change of scenery could reinvigorate Beal in the bayou.
Bring in Lowry
This would be a very risky trade for the Pelicans if Kyle Lowry, who’s a free agent at season’s end, gave New Orleans no assurance that he would re-sign with the team. But the gritty, tough point guard is exactly the type of player the Pelicans could use in a locker room full of guys who have not really won anything in their careers.
He wouldn’t fold in big games. He’s the picture of calm when things get difficult in the fourth quarter.
The Raptors, who are caught in a difficult spot between trying to continue to contend, and rebuilding, would get an interesting asset in return. If the Raptors were to land Ingram, the wingspan they would be able to feature would be awfully impressive. They already have the lengthy Pascal Siakam, and Chris Boucher is starting to come into his own this year. Additionally, if there’s any coach who could improve Ingram’s defensive ability, it would be Nick Nurse.
Call Chicago about Porter and Temple
In the ranking of worst contracts in the NBA, Otto Porter’s lucrative deal is usually mentioned pretty quickly. He’s getting paid at a lofty $28.4 million salary this season.
However, the contract can finally be viewed as an asset, as this is the final year of that max deal. While the Bulls might just let the deal expire and feel relieved at the extra cap space they’ll have with him off the books, they could also use it to parlay it into a young star in Ingram.
Chicago has tried for a few seasons to rebuild through the draft, and it hasn’t really worked out. By trading for Ingram with Porter and his contract, they’re guaranteed to have a big time scorer under their control as he ascends into his prime. For the Pelicans, they might take a short term hit acquiring Porter, but will have much more financial flexibility to mold the roster in a way that better suits Zion Williamson’s skill set.
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It will be interesting to see if they end up trading Ingram down the road but it’s honestly way too early to now. I’d suggest a package centered around Halliburton and Hield or Barnes + picks to get him in Sacramento