Pelicans star forward Brandon Ingram has been one of the most frequently-floated names in trade discussions this summer.
According to Marc Stein at Substack, Ingram’s performance in the 2024 playoffs against the Thunder is among the factors that have given New Orleans’ potential trade partners pause. Stein also indicates that Ingram is seeking a four-year, $208MM contract extension on his current expiring deal.
League sources tell Stein that Ingram’s management is striving to help the Pelicans find a willing trade partner. As Stein writes, having the former All-Star play out his current expiring contract with the Pelicans and become an unrestricted free agent next summer likely isn’t the preferred outcome for either the player or team.
Here are more rumors from Stein:
- The Lakers are looking to create some additional cap flexibility in order to make use of their $5.2MM taxpayer mid-level exception. The team is currently right at the second tax apron, prohibiting L.A. from signing an outside free agent for more than the minimum. If the Lakers can shed some salary, free agent sharpshooter Gary Trent Jr. could be among the targets that make sense, Stein notes. The club currently has a full 15-man roster, so any cost-cutting move intended to make room for a free agent would also need to open up a roster spot.
- Sources inform Stein that the rebuilding Wizards have registered interest in free agent wing Evan Fournier, who could be a mentor to recent lottery picks and fellow Frenchmen Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly.
- While starting center Clint Capela has been on the trade block for more than a year, new Hawks big man Larry Nance Jr. – added via the Dejounte Murray trade earlier this summer – is drawing more trade interest from rival teams, Stein writes. According to Stein, multiple clubs in need of more size have expressed interest in Nance.
It’s hard to trade Ingram because all playoffs teams are trying to manage the payroll and tax.
Example
Lakers and Heat don’t want to add big salary to the next 4 years.
Lakers and DeRozan have strong mutual interest
Heat and DeRozan have strong mutual interest
Things happened like this every day.
As a result, both teams did nothing.
Nice off season L.A….keep it up lol. Man lakers stink.
I love the term “ditch” a player. :)
Ingram is not worth $50 million per year and Fournier is not intriguing. That is all.
Unless he has a great season this year he will be crossing his fingers that a terrible team will have cap space next year for him.
Fournier might have shot his way into retirement. That 3P fell off a cliff. And he looks bad in limited minutes and isn’t a starter anymore.
No idea how any team is gonna have cap space for Ingram next year. This CBA is looking rough for players.
This year only 1 big name free agent got a huge deal and PG was lucky it was a playoff team.
Evan should try to sign with Denver
Ingram isn’t worth 208 million dollars over four years. I’m not paying 52 million per to a guy who misses a third of the season yearly and doesn’t play much defense. PG13 will at least give you great defense in addition to his scoring, despite missing time.
A lot of max players haven’t been worth what others are, but they still got paid..
I agree though, in terms of Paul George over Ingram…
I could see something a little less, like 180-185 mil though
I also think being used in certain situations, someone could probably help Ingram defensively
Even accounting for that, Ingram isn’t worth it. I’d agree 180-188 (45-47 mil per) is probably as high as I’d go. Even that is expensive for a guy who doesn’t play enough to even hit the awards eligibility cutoff. He’s managed that once, maybe twice if you account for the shortened ’19-’20 season with a lower number. That’s not a max guy imo, especially since he had a down year last year.
O ya, he’s not worth that either, but Herro got overpaid by like $40 million, for example…it’s just the price of business. In reality, hes probably worth closer to the 160-165 range, but also have to account for increases in the cap moving forward…
You would hope that the new rules means we’d have less situations where certain people get max money, with it being so high, so there are guys that should be paid a lot, but still less than Max, but as has been talked about in the past, instead it likely just means worse bad max contracts, and the reduction of the middle, non exception, non minimum deals
It will probably be awhile before things are adjusted in that direction; probably 6-7 years down the road. Until then, players like this will have holdup like this, or they’ll just get overpaid
I honestly think the new CBA is going to accelerate that change. Teams are going to be outright wary of paying guys on that borderline like Ingram. Max slots have to go to your two best players, without exception, and Ingram isn’t that for the Pels, and likely not for any contending team imo.
Also there is no way Herro was worth 4/80 at the time of that contract. Overpay yes, but not by that much. 4/110 was probably realistic (27.5 mil per). In hindsight, probably less, but that’s hindsight.
4/110 made sense as what I thought he would get, and then with what Anfernee Simons and then Jordan Poole got at the time…but I’m saying in terms of what he was probably actually worth, it was probably closer to the $78ish range
Looking to create cap space, didn’t LBJ say I will take less to improve the roster – oh yeah he didn’t, big surprise. The GOAT my a$$
He said he’d do it for specific players. PG, Klay, DeRozan were the assumed names (plus probably a couple others), and the Lakers didn’t even make offers for two of the three.
Agreed, but he’s hamstrung them making any trades etc. I love the Lakers but LBJ not so much
They can still make trades (they have tradeable contracts), but it takes two to tango. Nobody wants to actually better a team with LeBron and AD on it. Completely ignoring several of their best FA targets is on the front office.
No one is worried about making the Lakers good, Pelinka wildly overvalues his assets and thinks teams should pay a tax for doing business with him, every time you hear what they are thinking it’s like “Lakers are trying to deal 2 second rounders for Giannis and Dame, more on this later” Pelinka has been sitting on his hands for multiple years with Lebron and AD and while I can’t stomach them, I could build a better team
The NOP reportedly want to trade Ingram, but beyond that I haven’t heard his name in trade discussions. Incredibly talented offensive player, and both stats and optics show it. But I’m not surprised he hasn’t garnered much interest. Trading for him, sure, but giving up significant assets for him, no.
Rockets: Brandon Ingram
Pelicans: Nikola Vucevic and Jevon Carter
Bulls: Dillon Brooks, Jock Landale and a first round pick (Houston)
Rockets apparently want to upgrade the roster and be more competitive. All they’ve given up is a first round pick and it’s not going to hurt them in the long term. Ingram on an expiring deal along with Sengun and Green needing extensions means they aren’t tied to anyone but should be a good side and can go in any direction they want.
Also with FVV having a team option they could open up some serious money if they left Ingram just walk and chase a FA.
Chicago gets a largely rebuilding package. Brooks is a good culture guy, plus defence and just wants to win. Really all you want from this tho is the first round pick.
Pelicans still a true full time centre, Theis is nice but he’s undersized and Missi, was a late first round pick that played just over 20 minutes per game in college, he’s a bit of a project.
This team is built to win now, Vuce helps open the floor up a little more and still gives minutes for Theis and Missi. Jevon Carter also nice little back up to compete with Jose.
Probably selling a little low in Ingram but it’s improving the roster in a big way in order to win now.
Murray CJ Herb Zion Vuce, that starting 5 is solid
Jose Hawkins Trey JRE Theis
Carter Reaves Ryan Missi