Brandon Ingram Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pelicans Rumors: Williamson, Ingram, Potential Trades

December 31st, 2024 at 1:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran agent Bill Duffy, who is representing Zion Williamson after the Pelicans forward parted with CAA earlier in the season, doesn’t intend to push New Orleans to move his client before this season’s trade deadline, sources tell Tim MacMahon and Bobby Marks of ESPN.

The focus for both the Pelicans and Williamson’s camp, according to MacMahon and Marks, is to get the 24-year-old back on the court in the coming weeks for the first time since a hamstring strain sidelined him on November 6. The former No. 1 overall pick went through some non-contact work on Monday, tweets William Guillory of The Athletic, and the team announced last week that he’s expected to begin practicing in full very soon.

“Let’s ramp him up and create value for him,” a source said, “whether that’s with the Pelicans or another team.”

Within their deep dive into Williamson’s situation, MacMahon and Marks consider whether a trade would be a viable option for the Pelicans, exploring what the forward’s value on the market would be and what teams might be interested. According to ESPN’s duo, executives trying to come up with a logical landing spot for the former Blue Devil suggested he might make sense for a veteran team seeking another star, like the Warriors, or a retooling club looking to move off big contract of its own, like the Bulls with Zach LaVine.

A rebuilding team looking to roll the dice on a player with star potential at a discounted price could also be a fit, some of ESPN’s sources suggested. One Eastern executive who spoke to ESPN called Williamson’s trade value “the hardest question to answer in the NBA” at the moment.

“It’s really hard to see anybody paying a ton for him right now, but there are a very limited number of players in the league when healthy who are at or near the franchise-player tier,” that exec said. “The only way you win at the highest level is to have a guy who can do the type of things he can do if he’s healthy.

“I would probably do something stupid to get him if it were me making decisions.”

Here’s more on Williamson and the Pelicans:

Williamson’s 2025/26 salary of $39.4MM will likely become at least 20% guaranteed, since he’s on track to meet the weight benchmarks in his contract, sources tell MacMahon and Marks. However, he has missed too many games to reach the 61-game threshold, which means no more than 80% of his total salary for next season will be guaranteed entering the summer. Assuming he passes his required weigh-ins, Williamson can increase his partial guarantee to 60% by playing in at least 41 games or 80% by playing in at least 51.
Despite the structure of his contract, which will remain non-guaranteed beyond ’25/26, the Pelicans don’t consider waiving Williamson in the offseason in order to generate cap flexibility to be a feasible path to improving their roster, per MacMahon and Marks, given that the team still wouldn’t have maximum-salary cap room and New Orleans has never been a free agent destination anyway.
Finding a trade for forward Brandon Ingram remains the top priority for the Pelicans’ front office in the short term, sources tell ESPN. Ingram is on an expiring deal and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2025 if he’s not extended before then.
William Guillory of The Athletic fields several hypothetical trade ideas from Pelicans fans, evaluating each suggestion and considering whether the Pelicans or their proposed trade partner is more likely to pass on each offer.

Kings Notes: Trade Talks, Brown, Fox, Carter

December 30th, 2024 at 4:21pm CST by Rory Maher

As the Kings began to slide down the Western Conference standings over the past several weeks, the front office contemplated making smaller trades “just to change things up,” and also discussed larger deals involving Bulls wing Zach LaVine, Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, Nets guard Cam Thomas, and Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma, league sources tell Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.

According to Shelburne, the Kings consulted with former head coach Mike Brown on whether to make roster or coaching staff changes prior to parting ways with the 2023 Coach of the Year.

“Nobody wanted to fire Mike,” one Kings source told Shelburne. “He’s a good coach. People here really care about him. Until the very last moment we were trying to make it work.”

Sources tell Shelburne that general manager Monte McNair, assistant GM Wes Wilcox, team president Matina Kolokotronis and owner Vivek Ranadive had “several calls and meetings” to discuss Brown’s future with the organization during Sacramento’s recent 0-5 homestand. McNair ultimately called Brown to inform him of the decision as Brown was driving to the airport to board a team flight to L.A. — the timing and execution of the move drew criticism from around the NBA.

After speaking to Brown, McNair and Wilcox called De’Aaron Fox, DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis to let them know, but none were consulted beforehand, Shelburne reports.

Shelburne also confirms a report from The Athletic stating that Kings players had grown weary of Brown publicly bashing the team in post-game press conferences.

For what it’s worth, Marc Stein writes that it’s a “struggle to find anyone around the league” who thinks the firing of Brown was justified (Substack link).

Here’s more on the Kings:

There has been some speculation that Fox may have been unhappy with Brown, in part because of the way the veteran coach criticized him for committing a disastrous foul in the closing seconds of Thursday’s loss to Detroit, but the former All-Star tells Shelburne he enjoys being coached hard and was on good terms with Brown. “I feel like there’s this perception that people thought that we were at odds,” Fox says. “You can ask anybody in this organization: me and Mike have never even had an argument. We could disagree with something. We talked about it and it was gone.”
According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, there have been “grumblings in NBA circles” suggesting that Fox will ask to be traded before the February 6 deadline. With that in mind, Pincus comes up with a hypothetical deal that sees Fox land with the Rockets.
Rookie guard Devin Carter made his NBA G League debut with the Stockton Kings on Saturday and was recalled prior to Sunday’s matchup with the Lakers, though he didn’t end up playing in what would have been a back-to-back (Twitter link via Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 Sacramento). Still, it’s obviously a positive development, as Carter is inching closer to making his NBA regular season debut following offseason shoulder surgery.

Latest On Zion, Ingram, Other Injured Pelicans

December 24th, 2024 at 1:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, who has been sidelined since November 6 due to a left hamstring strain, has entered the “return to play conditioning phase” of his rehab process, according to a press release from the team.

The expectation, per the Pelicans, is that Williamson will resume practicing in full next week. He’s considered week-to-week as he nears a return to action.

The former No. 1 overall pick has been limited to just six appearances this season. He averaged 22.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in 31.0 minutes per game across those six outings. Although the Pelicans won just two of those six games, they’ve been significantly worse without Williamson available, winning just three of the 24 contests he has missed.

The Pelicans’ other star forward, Brandon Ingram, has been on the shelf since December 7 due to a “significant” left ankle sprain. According to today’s announcement, Ingram is still in the “early treatment and recovery phase” of his rehab and will be sidelined for the foreseeable future. The plan is to reevaluate him in two weeks, the team says.

New Orleans lost the game in which Ingram was injured and has subsequently dropped all six games he has missed as well.

Here are a few more injury updates from the Pelicans:

Fourth-year guard Jose Alvarado, out since Nov. 11 with a left hamstring strain, is at the same stage of his rehab as Williamson, having entered the “return to play conditioning” portion. Like Zion, Alvarado is on track to practice in full next week and will be considered week-to-week going forward.
Swingman Trey Murphy injured his left ankle in Sunday’s game vs. Denver, but the injury isn’t considered serious. He has been diagnosed with a mild left ankle sprain and will be considered day-to-day.
Rookie big man Karlo Matkovic, who last played on December 1, is in the return to play conditioning phase of his rehab from a low back disc protrusion. He’s week-to-week, according to the club.

Spurs Positioning Themselves To Target De’Aaron Fox

December 21st, 2024 at 11:50am CST by Tristan Tucker

Star guard De’Aaron Fox‘s agent — Klutch Sports founder and CEO Rich Paul — met with Kings general manager Monte McNair and assistant general manager Wes Wilcox on Thursday. According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Anthony Slater, the meeting focused on what the long-term plan around Fox would be.

Fox declined a three-year, $165MM extension from the Kings in the offseason and isn’t interested in fighting for a lower-seed playoff spot for the rest of his career. He recently discussed the decision to turn down that extension, explaining that he wants the club to show it’s capable of seriously contending for a championship.

While Fox hasn’t asked for a trade, Amick and Slater write that the Kings star and his agent are reading the room to see what the Kings’ vision is. Fox has another year left on his deal and would qualify for a five-year, $345MM super-max contract if he makes an All-NBA selection this year.

The Kings aren’t a bad team, but they’ve been inconsistent in the first half and there’s little room for inconsistency in a competitive Western Conference, where they rank 12th at 13-15. Fox has stated multiple times that he likes the idea of spending his entire career with one franchise and he has been a major force in the local community. But with Sacramento stuck on the outside looking in for now, opposing teams have started to circle.

League sources tell Amick and Slater that the Spurs are “positioning themselves” to pursue a trade for Fox should he become available, eyeing him to be a long-term partner with Victor Wembanyama. Other teams would likely join San Antonio as suitors if Sacramento considers a trade.

While the Kings have shortened the rotation and their record isn’t inspiring thus far, they are still just three games out of a top-five seed in the West. They’re armed with proven NBA players like Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray and Malik Monk, among others, and they’ve suffered several tight losses, with a 3-9 record in games decided by five points or less.

The Kings know they need an upgrade and are specifically targeting backup centers and wings. Among the names on their short list are Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant, Jazz forward John Collins, Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas, Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma, and Nets forward Cameron Johnson, according to Amick and Slater. They’ve also expressed some lesser interest in Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith, while a bigger trade for Brandon Ingram or Zach LaVine seems unlikely at this juncture.

Fox is having one of his most productive seasons yet, averaging 26.2 points, 6.1 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. But while his production is up, head coach Mike Brown has challenged him to do even more. As Amick and Slater report, there’s some pressure on the Kings to further fortify their roster to convince him to re-up long term.

Southwest Notes: Pelicans Trade Rumors, McCollum, Hawkins, Morant, Smart

December 19th, 2024 at 9:40am CST by Dana Gauruder

Reacting to a report that the Pelicans have made most of their roster available in the trade market, head coach Willie Green said he’d address the rumors with the team at the appropriate time.

“Eventually, we’ll have some discussions on what’s true and what’s not true,” Green told Rod Walker of the New Orleans Times Picayune. “But for the most part, we try to block out any noise, any distractions. We’ve got a lot to focus on without that. Our focus is on coming in every day with the right perspective, getting after it at practice, locking in to our film work and getting prepared for our games. Some of the rumors and some of the things we are hearing are out of our control. We’ll do the best that we can to continue communicating with our group.”

Veteran guard CJ McCollum, one of the players who could be on the move, understands why there is so much trade buzz around the team.

“Obviously we aren’t doing well,” McCollum said. “So teams are going to be circling like sharks to try to figure out who they can poach. Our team may be entertaining trades, may not be entertaining trades. Who knows?”

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Jordan Hawkins (lumbar spine annular fissure) could return to action tonight for the Pelicans against Houston. He was upgraded to questionable on Wednesday’s official injury report, according to a team press release. The second-year guard has missed the last eight games. Jose Alvarado (left hamstring strain), Brandon Ingram (left ankle sprain), Karlo Matkovic (low back disc protrusion), Daniel Theis (personal reasons) and Zion Williamson (left hamstring strain) remain out.
The Grizzlies could be without two prominent guards against Golden State tonight. Ja Morant is listed as questionable with left shoulder soreness, while Marcus Smart is doubtful due to lower back soreness, the team’s PR department tweets.
Smart has been coming off the bench, but he’s been getting crunch time minutes. That has helped the Grizzlies guard accept his new role, he told Mark Medina of Sportskeeda. “At the end of the day, you want to be on the court,” he said. “You want to be on the court in the moment of the game that matters the most. That’s the goal. As long as I’m in those moments, I’m not really complaining. I think my resume speaks for itself that it shouldn’t even be a question on whether I’m going to be in those moments or not. But like I said, I can just control what I can control.”

Nuggets Show Significant Interest In Zach LaVine

December 17th, 2024 at 8:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nuggets have interest in making a deal for Bulls wing Zach LaVine, The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Tony Jones report.

Denver is active in the market for an offensive upgrade at the wing position to ease some of the burden off Nikola Jokic. Despite a history of injury issues, LaVine would certainly fit that bill. He’s averaging 21.7 points and 4.2 assists per game this season and holds career shooting percentages of 46.6% from the field and 38.4% on three-pointers.

LaVine is also on a sizable contract — $43MM this season, $45.9MM next season and a $48.9MM player option for 2026/27.

LaVine isn’t the only player the Nuggets are looking at. They have also expressed interest or have had preliminary trade discussions regarding Jordan Poole, Jordan Clarkson, De’Andre Hunter, Cameron Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas, per The Athletic. Brandon Ingram, currently sidelined by an ankle injury, is on the Nuggets’ radar too, SNY TV’s Ian Begley tweets.

However, league sources tell Amick and Jones that Denver’s focus on LaVine in recent talks has been “significant.”

Any big trade Denver might make would likely involve Michael Porter Jr., according to The Athletic duo. Porter is making $35.8MM this season, $38.3MM next season and $40.8MM in 2026/27.

Porter is off to a strong start statistically, averaging 18.5 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per contest. He’s shooting 51.2% overall and 38.5% on three-point attempts.

So why is Denver willing to part with him? The Nuggets are seeking help in the form of someone who is able to create offense. Jokić and Jamal Murray are the only players on the roster who are consistently capable of creating their own shots, The Athletic notes.

Little-used forward Zeke Nnaji, a 2020 first-round pick, is also available. He’s signed through the 2027/28 season on a four-year, $32MM deal that includes a player option.

Lakers Rumors: Trade Targets, LeBron, Davis, Bronny, Hachimura

December 17th, 2024 at 12:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers are expected to be one of the most active buyers on the trade market during the 2024/25 season, though it remains unclear how much of their available draft capital they’re willing to move and how significant a deal they’ll make, says Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

As Buha notes, the Lakers were also considered likely to buy last season, but ultimately stood pat at the February trade deadline, choosing not to surrender a first-round pick. However, there’s hope that Golden State’s deal for Dennis Schröder (which saw the Warriors give up three second-round picks and get one back) may be a signal that teams’ asking prices for useful role players will be more modest this time around.

The Lakers are believed to be in the market for three kinds of players, according to Buha: a “physical, defensive-minded” center, a three-and-D wing, and an athletic guard with some size who can defend at the point of attack. As Buha writes, players the Lakers have been linked to in the past, including Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas and Nets wings Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith, are among the targets who would make sense at this season’s deadline.

Jazz guard Collin Sexton and center Walker Kessler, Raptors swingman Bruce Brown, Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant and center Robert Williams, and Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma are some of the other potential players of interest who have come up in Buha’s conversations with team and league sources. However, the Lakers aren’t expected to be in on former All-Stars like Jimmy Butler, Zach LaVine, and Brandon Ingram, Buha adds.

Here’s more on the Lakers and their approach to the trade deadline:

Unsurprisingly, the Lakers aren’t considering trading LeBron James and Anthony Davis and almost certainly wouldn’t do so unless they asked to be dealt, sources tell Buha. Other players unlikely to be moved include Austin Reaves, Max Christie, and Dalton Knecht, who are viewed as potential long-term pieces.
While Bronny James isn’t untouchable, he’s not expected to be included in a trade that doesn’t involve his father, sources tell The Athletic.
One or more of the Lakers’ four mid-sized contracts – D’Angelo Russell ($18.69MM cap hit), Rui Hachimura ($17MM), Gabe Vincent ($11MM), Jarred Vanderbilt ($10.71MM) – figures to be included in any deal of note this season. Of those players, Hachimura looks like the one the Lakers would least want to move, Buha writes, though the forward would probably also have the most trade value of the four. Russell hasn’t drawn significant interest from potential suitors during previous discussions, Vincent has dealt with injuries and has struggled offensively since joining the Lakers, and Vanderbilt has yet to make his season debut as he recovers from offseason surgeries on both feet.

Trade Rumors: Sixers, Pelicans, Nuggets, Early Movers, Simmons

December 13th, 2024 at 10:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers‘ slow start this fall hasn’t changed the expectation that Daryl Morey and the front office in Philadelphia will be active leading up to the February 6 trade deadline, sources tell Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Insider link).

Shooting and frontcourt size are among the area the 76ers may look to address, with KJ Martin viewed as the team’s most logical trade chip due to his pseudo-expiring contract, which includes a cap hit of $7.98MM for this season. However, Martin won’t become trade-eligible until January 15, so Philadelphia will have another month to assess its needs before moving forward on potential trade scenarios.

Within that same ESPN story, Bontemps and Brian Windhorst address another injury-plagued team off to a disappointing start, citing sources who say that there has been an increase in opposing scouts at Pelicans games, with rivals looking to gather intel for possible deals. While New Orleans’ plans are unclear at this point, the club is expected to at least make a move to get out of the luxury tax — its team salary is currently $1.4MM above that threshold.

Brandon Ingram, of course, is considered a potential trade candidate, but his $36MM+ cap hit will complicate trade talks. According to Bontemps, several sources have recently told ESPN that they’re not sure whether anyone making more than $20-25MM will be dealt during the season.

Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:

The Nuggets are interested in making a trade to upgrade their rotation and “know they need a shake-up move of some sort,” but will be hard-pressed to find an appealing deal due to their position relative to the tax aprons and their lack of movable contracts, NBA insider Marc Stein said during an appearance on DNVR Sports (Twitter video link). “It’s been painted to me as eager. They are eager to make a move,” Stein said. “(But) the reality is if they don’t involve (Michael) Porter (Jr.), the optionality there is extremely limited.”
While most in-season deals are unlikely to be completed until much closer to the February 6 trade deadline, Jake Fischer (Bleacher Report video link) identifies the Lakers and Bucks as teams who could be motivated to act sooner rather than later on the trade market, adding that the Knicks are also “still sniffing around on what to do for their center depth.”
In a separate video clip, Fischer explores whether the Nets could realistically trade Ben Simmons and his $40MM+ expiring contract, suggesting that a team seeking 2025 cap room might be able to incentivize Brooklyn to take on multiyear salary in exchange for Simmons by attaching an intriguing young player and/or draft assets.
Fred Katz of The Athletic takes a closer look at several of the CBA and trade rules – new and old – that are expected to make it more challenging than ever for teams to pull off trades this season.

Southwest Notes: Ingram, Pelicans, Udoka, Wells, Smart

December 11th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans were upset about the play that caused Brandon Ingram‘s ankle injury, according to Rod Walker of NOLA.com, who says the team sent video of the play to the league office to review. They hadn’t heard back as of Tuesday, per head coach Willie Green.

The injury occurred after Ingram attempted to rise up for a shot over Luguentz Dort (Twitter video link). Ingram’s elbow appeared to make contact with the Thunder defender, causing him to fall backwards to the floor. When Ingram landed, he came down on Dort’s foot, twisting his ankle. An offensive foul was called, with the Pelicans arguing that Dort didn’t give Ingram enough room to make a normal shot attempt or to land after his jump. However, their challenge was denied.

“If you go back and watch that play, he (Dort) got up under B.I,” Green said on Tuesday. “They called an offensive foul and we didn’t agree with that.”

It’s unclear what the Pelicans hope to accomplish by getting the league office involved, but regardless of whether anything comes of it, Ingram will still be sidelined indefinitely. It’s the latest health issue for a player who has missed between 18 and 37 regular season games in his previous three seasons.

“Mentally, having the injury has been tough for him,” Green said. “I’ve had a chance to talk with him. It’s going to be something that he has to continue to try to take some positives out of it, take it day-by-day and attack each day. The good news is it’s not career ending. It’s not career threatening. It’s not season threatening. It’s just a matter of how soon can he get back to himself.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Will the Pelicans trade Brandon Ingram? Trade Zion Williamson? Trade both? Keep both and run it back next season? William Guillory of The Athletic considers the paths available to New Orleans and weighs the likelihood of each outcome. In Guillory’s view, an Ingram trade seems likely to happen by February 6, but the franchise still seems committed to making things work with Williamson.
Tim MacMahon of ESPN outlines how Ime Udoka‘s ornery, hard-nosed personality has bled into the Rockets‘ culture since his arrival in Houston in 2023 and how the head coach’s high standards for his players have helped fuel the team’s turnaround after several seasons in the lottery. According to Udoka, veteran point guard Fred VanVleet sometimes “goes against his natural inclination” and plays “good cop” to Udoka’s bad cap since the Rockets coach can be so harsh on his young players.
Grizzlies rookie Jaylen Wells, who is making a case for Rookie of the Year consideration this fall, spoke to Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda about his strong start, his “learning moments,” and the impact Marcus Smart has had on his development as a veteran leader. “Marcus has been huge for me,” Wells told Afseth. “He talks to me during walkthroughs, in the locker room, and on the court. He’s always giving me tips, whether it’s about tendencies or how to play tough without fouling. Watching how he sets the tone defensively has taught me a lot.”

Charania’s Latest: Ingram, Jones, McCollum, Blazers, Kuzma, Durant

December 10th, 2024 at 12:55pm CST by Luke Adams

When the Pelicans and Brandon Ingram discussed an extension during the offseason, he and his representatives at Excel Sports Management were seeking $50MM per season, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Insider link). Previous reporting indicated that Ingram was pursuing a maximum-salary extension, which would’ve been worth up to $208MM over four years, so an ask of $50MM per season would’ve been in the neighborhood of his max.

As Charania explains, based on their current commitments, the Pelicans project to be $31MM below the tax in 2025/26, so re-signing Ingram to a $45MM+ starting salary would’ve pushed that figure well beyond the tax line and into apron territory, which probably isn’t feasible for a team that has never been a taxpayer.

The Pelicans value Ingram highly and are expected to keep the door open for a potential extension now that the forward has changed agents and is represented by Klutch Sports, Charania writes, but a trade is considered the more likely outcome, given the team’s financial outlook.

When New Orleans’ front office discussed possible Ingram trades over the summer, the Timberwolves were among the teams to show interest, sources tell Charania. However, a deal would’ve needed to be centered around Karl-Anthony Towns, and it likely only would’ve been viable if the two teams had reached an agreement during the 2023/24 season, before Towns’ super-max extension went into effect.

According to Charania, with the injury-plagued Pelicans off to a dismal 5-20 start this season, rival teams have begun to express interest in players like Herbert Jones and CJ McCollum. Charania doesn’t say whether or not New Orleans will consider moving either player, but I’d imagine the front office would be very reluctant to make a trade involving Jones, who is the team’s most valuable defensive player.

Here’s more from Charania:

Multiple teams have begun to express interest in veteran Trail Blazers trade candidates Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons, and Robert Williams, sources tell Charania. Grant and Simons have gotten off to slow starts this fall and Williams has a concerning injury history, but the three players are still among Portland’s most valuable – and most logical – trade chips.
Several contending teams are expected to pursue Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma this season, Charania reports. Kuzma has been limited to just 12 outings for health reasons and has seen his offensive output dip in the early going (15.8 PPG, .420/.276/.688 shooting) but has a strong track record as a scorer and is on a contract with a team-friendly declining structure.
There’s optimism that injured Suns star Kevin Durant could return from his ankle sprain on either Friday in Utah or Sunday vs. Portland, Charania writes. While Phoenix obviously won’t want to rush back its leading scorer, it has been night and day for the team this season when Durant is available (11-2 record) and when he isn’t (1-9).
In case you missed it, we passed along a few more items from Charania earlier today in separate full stories.