Brandon Ingram

Western Notes: Flagler, Durant, Leonard, Ingram

December 9th, 2024 at 9:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Thunder two-way player Adam Flagler will miss four-to-six weeks due to a right fourth metacarpal fracture, Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman tweets.

The 25-year-old guard out of Baylor has appeared in 11 games with the Thunder this season. He’s averaged 1.4 points and 0.5 rebounds in 3.4 minutes per contest, having played almost exclusively in garbage time.

Flagler is a holdover from last season, as he originally signed his two-way deal in February. He was a critical contributor for the Oklahoma City Blue’s championship squad in 2023/24. In three G League contests this season, he has averaged 25.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 5.7 APG and 2.3 SPG.

We have more from the Western Conference:

The Suns are 11-2 with Kevin Durant in uniform and 1-9 without him. Phoenix should be able to overcome Durant’s absences better than that, Gerald Bourguet of GoPhnx.com writes. Their futility in the games he’s missed is due in large part to Devin Booker‘s subpar efficiency and spotty defense, as well as Bradley Beal‘s inability to step up his game to fill the void, according to Bourguet.
Kawhi Leonard appears to be progressing toward a return this month and it would be an ideal time to ease him back into the Clippers‘ lineup, according to Law Murray of The Athletic. The Clippers don’t have back-to-back games until New Year’s Day and will only play six games in the 21-day window that begins on Monday, which should help their injured players heal up. “He’s a defensive-minded guy who can guard the basketball, guard five different positions,” head coach Tyronn Lue said of Leonard. “For him coming into what we’re doing, it shouldn’t be hard for him to get involved.”
Brandon Ingram‘s ankle injury, which will keep him out of action indefinitely, means the floundering Pelicans must soon make some difficult decisions, William Guillory of The Athletic writes. They must decide what to do with Ingram, a free agent after the season, and whether there’s still a trade market for him. They also must figure out what to do with their other oft-injured star, Zion Williamson.

Brandon Ingram Out Indefinitely With “Significant” Ankle Sprain

December 8th, 2024 at 11:14am CST by Rory Maher

Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram has sustained a “significant” low left ankle sprain and will be out indefinitely, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN.

Ingram, 27, suffered the injury early in the third quarter of Saturday’s loss to Oklahoma City. While driving into the lane, Ingram rose up for a shot and was whistled for an offensive foul after his elbow appeared to hit Luguentz Dort, who fell to the ground (YouTube link). Ingram’s left foot landed on Dort’s right foot, causing his ankle to roll. He had to be helped off the court by his teammates.

According to Charania, Ingram left the Smoothie King Center — New Orleans’ home arena — in a walking boot and crutches.

Ingram helped the Pelicans snap a nine-game losing streak on Thursday vs. Phoenix by scoring a game-high 29 points, only to suffer the ankle sprain in his second game back after missing the previous five contests with a right leg injury.

It’s yet another setback for the Pelicans, who have dealt with numerous injuries to key players this season, and for Ingram, who has been sidelined by various injuries throughout his nine-year career. The former No. 2 overall pick will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

In 18 games this season (33.1 minutes), Ingram has averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists, with a shooting line of .465/.374/.855. Due in large part to their crushing wave of injuries, the Pelicans are just 5-19, last place in the Western Conference.

With Ingram out and Zion Williamson (hamstring), Jose Alvarado (hamstring) and Jordan Hawkins (back) still sidelined, Trey Murphy will likely slide back into the starting lineup, with Javonte Green and Brandon Boston among the other candidates for more shots and minutes.

Pelicans Rumors: Ingram, Tax, Green, Missi, Health

December 6th, 2024 at 6:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Confirming a Michael Scotto report from earlier in the week, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) says Brandon Ingram spent the offseason seeking a maximum-salary contract extension (which could’ve been worth as much as $208MM over four seasons), while the Pelicans would have been comfortable with a deal more in the vicinity of $40MM per year.

Fischer also provides some details on the trade opportunities involving Ingram that the Pelicans explored over the summer, noting that the Kings initially had the forward on their radar before landing DeMar DeRozan and that the Cavaliers weren’t interested in a deal centered around Ingram and Jarrett Allen. While there were some talks with the Jazz, Fischer classifies those discussions as “preliminary,” suggesting Utah’s pursuit of Mikal Bridges got much further down the road.

A return to the Lakers has been mentioned by scouts as a possibility for Ingram, but Fischer says he’s been given no indication Los Angeles is seeking a reunion with their former No. 2 overall pick. The Lakers, according to Fischer, are more focused on adding more frontcourt depth and perimeter defense to their roster.

Given that there doesn’t appear – at this point, at least – to be a team eager to do a long-term, maximum-salary contract for Ingram, league sources expect the forward and his new reps at Klutch Sports to be open to lucrative shorter-term deals, Fischer writes, pointing to Fred VanVleet‘s three-year deal with Houston as an example. That contract is worth the max but features a third-year team option.

It’s still possible the Pelicans will be the team to work out a new agreement with Ingram, but there’s a ceiling on what they’re willing to pay him, Fischer adds.

Here’s more on the Pelicans:

Executives around the NBA talk about the Pelicans making a move to get out of luxury tax territory as if it’s an inevitability, per Fischer. The team is currently operating about $1.4MM above the tax line, so it might be as simple as shedding a minimum-salary contract at the deadline, though a deal involving Ingram could also potentially get New Orleans out of the tax.
Fischer doesn’t expect New Orleans to make a head coaching change anytime soon, despite some speculation around the NBA about Willie Green‘s job security. “Ownership is loyal to their people,” a New Orleans figure tells Fischer.
People within the Pelicans organization have raved about how quickly rookie center Yves Missi is learning and progressing, according to Fischer, who compares it to the way that people in Dallas were talking about Dereck Lively last season. Nonetheless, Fischer has heard New Orleans remains in the market for frontcourt depth.
Although Zion Williamson, Jose Alvarado, and Jordan Hawkins remain on the injured list, the Pelicans were as healthy as they’ve been since opening night on Thursday, with Ingram, Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Herbert Jones, and Trey Murphy all active together for the first time. The result – a hard-fought 126-124 win over Phoenix – was an encouraging one, as William Guillory of The Athletic writes. The Pelicans are still just 5-18, but Thursday’s game provided a glimpse of what the team thought it could be, with the first-time starting lineup of Ingram, Murray, McCollum, Jones, and Missi outscoring the Suns by 14 points in 11 minutes of action.

Pelicans Notes: Ingram, Jones, Missi, Losing Streak

December 5th, 2024 at 12:31pm CST by Rory Maher

The injury-plagued Pelicans will get some key reinforcements back on Thursday against Phoenix, as Brandon Ingram and Herbert Jones have been upgraded from questionable to available, the team announced (via Twitter).

Ingram has missed the past five games with right plantaris tendonitis, while Jones has been sidelined since Oct. 29 with a right shoulder strain and small low-grade partial thickness tear in his rotator cuff. An All-Defensive First Team selection in 2023/24, Jones has missed the past 18 games due to the injury.

Shams Charania of ESPN reported earlier this week that the two starting wings were on track to return on Thursday.

Here are a few more notes from New Orleans:

Another player who has been upgraded from questionable to available for Thursday’s matchup is rookie first-round pick Yves Missi, who is dealing with a right ankle sprain. While the Pelicans’ season has been an unmitigated disaster to this point, having lost nine straight and 15 of their past 16 games, Missi’s play has been one of the few silver linings. As Christian Clark of NOLA.com writes, the 20-year-old big man had a career night in Monday’s loss to Atlanta, recording 23 points (on 11-of-14 shooting) and 12 rebounds. “He’s just getting better and better,” head coach Willie Green said. “A true bright spot for our team.”
Will the Pelicans be able to salvage their season after a 4-18 start already has them 7.5 games behind San Antonio for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference? William Guillory of The Athletic explores that topic. According to Guillory, a major roster or coaching change seems unlikely in the near future, but the pressure is definitely mounting on Green after a string of non-competitive losses.
In case you missed it, on Wednesday the Pelicans provided injury updates on Zion Williamson (left hamstring strain), Jose Alvarado (left hamstring strain) and Jordan Hawkins (lumbar spine annular fissure). Williamson and Alvarado are out at least two more weeks, while Hawkins will be checked out again in one week.

Pelicans Provide Injury Updates On Zion Williamson, Four Others

December 4th, 2024 at 3:28pm CST by Luke Adams

The injury-ravaged Pelicans have announced in a press release that forward Zion Williamson is progressing well in his recovery from a left hamstring strain and will be reevaluated in about two weeks.

Reporting nearly two weeks ago indicated that Williamson wasn’t close to a return — the latest update from the Pelicans doesn’t suggest otherwise. While it’s possible the former No. 1 overall pick will be ready to suit up when he’s examined in two weeks, it’s more likely that his absence will extend beyond that date.

Williamson has been limited to just six games so far this season and hasn’t been active since November 6. The Pelicans have gone 1-12 since he last played.

Besides providing an update on Williamson, New Orleans also shared news on several other injured players within today’s announcement. Here’s the latest from the team:

Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado, like Williamson, is said to be progressing well through his rehabilitation process and will be reevaluated in approximately two weeks. Alvarado has been sidelined since November 11 due to a left hamstring strain.
Second-year wing Jordan Hawkins, who has missed 11 games this season due to what the team has typically referred to as low back soreness, has been diagnosed with a lumbar spine annular fissure. He’ll be reevaluated in about a week.
Forwards Brandon Ingram (right plantaris tendonitis) and Herbert Jones (right shoulder strain) both went through a full practice on Wednesday and will be listed as questionable to play on Thursday vs. Phoenix. Ingram has missed New Orleans’ past five games, while Jones has been out for 18 in a row. Shams Charania of ESPN reported earlier this week that both players were trending toward being able to return on Thursday.

Pelicans Waive Elfrid Payton

December 3rd, 2024 at 4:20pm CST by Luke Adams

4:20pm: The Pelicans have officially waived Payton, the team announced in a press release.

4:00pm: The Pelicans are waiving veteran guard Elfrid Payton, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Payton, who had been out of the NBA since the 2021/22 season, caught on with the Pelicans last month on a non-guaranteed contract and was one of the feel-good stories of the fall.

The Louisiana native, who played in Puerto Rico and the G League while trying to make his NBA comeback, immediately jumped into the starting lineup for his hometown team and posted a 14-point, 21-assist, seven-rebound line in his third game back.

However, the Pelicans have been getting healthier, with both Dejounte Murray and CJ McCollum recently returning to the team’s backcourt, which resulted in a reduced role for Payton. He logged just six minutes in Monday’s loss to Atlanta.

New Orleans should be getting a couple more players back this week, with Shams Charania of ESPN reporting on The Pat McAfee Show (YouTube link) that Brandon Ingram and Herbert Jones appear on track to play Thursday.

The Pelicans are operating slightly over the luxury tax line and have no desire to be a taxpayer this season, so there’s certainly a financial reason involved in the decision to waive Payton. Leaving that 15th roster spot open for the time being would reduce New Orleans’ projected tax bill and make it easier for the team to duck out of tax territory with a trade later in the season.

Payton’s 14 days on the Pelicans’ roster and two days on waivers will result in a cap charge of $274,809 for New Orleans, assuming he clears waivers. As Bobby Marks tweets, the team will be about $1.4MM above the tax line and $3.8MM below the first apron after jettisoning Payton.

Pelicans Rumors: McCollum, Ingram, Zion, Tax, Jones

December 2nd, 2024 at 1:09pm CST by Luke Adams

CJ McCollum continues to be an effective offensive weapon for the Pelicans when he’s healthy, having scored 20.0 points and handed out 3.3 assists per game in eight outings (all starts) this season. He’s also viewed as a leader in New Orleans’ locker room, writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Still, according to Scotto, opposing executives wonder whether McCollum, who turned 33 in September, is a long-term fit alongside Dejounte Murray in the Pelicans’ backcourt and have speculated that the club could be willing to listen to offers on the veteran guard before the 2025 trade deadline.

“New Orleans should move McCollum, and they’ll likely move (Brandon) Ingram for another proven player,” one executive told HoopsHype.

While it remains to be seen how willing the Pelicans will be to discuss McCollum, previous reporting has indicated that the team explored deals involving Ingram over the summer and will likely continue to do so if the two sides can’t agree to terms on an extension. League sources tell Scotto that Ingram is looking to secure as close to a maximum-salary contract as possible, while New Orleans would be open to paying him just slightly more than his current $36MM salary.

Here’s more on the Pelicans:

Given Zion Williamson‘s history of injury issues, one rival executive told Scotto that he’d only consider trading a single first-round pick in a deal for the former No. 1 overall selection.
League sources tell HoopsHype that the Pelicans want to avoid paying the luxury tax this season, which will mean making at least one cost-cutting trade prior to the February 6 deadline. That’s no surprise, given that New Orleans is one of two teams never to pay the tax and this 4-17 roster doesn’t look like the one worth ending that streak for.
Ingram, who has missed the past four games due to what the Pelicans are calling right plantaris tendinitis, has been upgraded to questionable for Monday’s game vs. Atlanta, while Herbert Jones, who has been out since October 29 with a shoulder injury, has been upgraded to doubtful, tweets Will Guillory of The Athletic. It’s still TBD whether either player will be activated for tonight’s game, but it sounds like both could be available on Thursday vs. Phoenix.
In case you missed it, we passed along a handful of Pelicans-related notes focusing on Ingram and Williamson on Sunday.

Pelicans Notes: Williamson, Ingram, Agency Changes

December 1st, 2024 at 12:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Head coach Willie Green referred to them as “the best duo in the NBA” 13 months ago, but it’s time for the Pelicans to admit that the pairing of forwards Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram hasn’t panned out, contends Christian Clark of NOLA.com (subscription required).

As Clark details, injuries have consistently derailed any hope the Pelicans have had of building momentum behind Williamson and Ingram, who have played just 73 games together since Green was hired in July 2021.

Differences between the ways the two stars need to be motivated have also created a disconnect, according to Clark, who says that Williamson “requires regimen and structure,” whereas Ingram has been at his best under player-friendly coaches like Alvin Gentry and Green.

When David Griffin was hired as the Pelicans’ head of basketball operations in 2019, he had two opportunities that offseason to add a player who could be New Orleans’ “tentpole” star to build around, Clark writes. The front office acquired Ingram in the Anthony Davis trade and drafted Williamson with the No. 1 overall pick. However, Clark argues that there’s now enough evidence to show that neither one is the face of the franchise the team had hoped they could become.

Here’s more on the Pelicans:

Communication has been an issue throughout Williamson’s tenure in New Orleans, according to Clark, who points to an example from this season’s opener – which the 24-year-old missed due to an illness – to illustrate that point. Williamson missed that morning’s shootaround, then showed up to the arena and was said to be a game-time decision before being ruled out. His lack of communication about his status left multiple team staffers “confused,” Clark says, setting the tone for the Pelicans’ disappointing fall.
While there were rumors that Williamson’s camp was dissatisfied with CAA for years before he parted ways with the agency in November, Ingram’s decision to leave Excel Sports Management came as more of a surprise, according to Clark.
Both Clark and Shamit Dua of In The N.O. reported that Ingram was expected to sign with Klutch Sports before Shams Charania of ESPN confirmed as much on Sunday. Dua speculates that Ingram made his agency change because Excel wasn’t able to secure him the type of extension he sought or a trade to a desired landing spot, whereas Klutch is known for “pulling out all the stops” for its clients. Williamson isn’t expected to follow Ingram to Klutch, Dua adds.
Multiple league sources tell Dua that the Pelicans and Jazz had discussions about a possible Ingram trade earlier this year, but that they hit a standstill due to the forward’s disinterest in signing in Utah long-term. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported this week that finding a team with whom Ingram would be willing to extend has been one of several factors complicating the Pelicans’ trade efforts.
In case you missed it, we also passed along a few Pelicans notes on Saturday evening.

Pelicans Notes: Payton, Missi, Green, Ingram

November 30th, 2024 at 5:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

Elfrid Payton posted one of the most impressive lines of the season on Monday as he celebrates his return to the NBA. He was gone from the league for more than two full years before the Pelicans gave him a chance amid a rash of injuries. Playing on a non-guaranteed contract, Payton had 21 assists, 14 points, seven rebounds and two steals against Indiana.

Payton’s journey back to the NBA took 920 days after he became a free agent following the 2021/22 season. It meant playing in Puerto Rico and the G League, but Payton tells Will Guillory of The Athletic that he never gave up hope.

“It’s tough when you feel like you can still play but you have to wait for the opportunity,” he said. “It really forces you to show how much you love the game, how much you’re willing to put into it. I just kept believing that day would come.”

Payton grew up in New Orleans, played one prior season with the Pelicans and maintained a relationship with the team while he was out of the league. Guillory states that the Pelicans considered signing him earlier in the season, but he felt tightness in his hamstring after a workout and an MRI showed that he had a slight strain that would necessitate several weeks of rehab. Although he was frustrated by the news, Payton was willing to wait a little longer for his dream.

“I believed the opportunity would come,” he said. “It was longer than I thought or expected, but that ain’t the point. … (There were) some days when I felt like all the work was for nothing. But I had to find ways to keep going. If you really have a passion for the game and a love for the game, you’ve got to find a way to push through.”

There’s more from New Orleans:

Yves Missi already looks like one of the best big men in this year’s draft class, averaging 8.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in his first 19 NBA games. In an interview with Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda, Missi talked about making the adjustment from college. “The NBA is more about trusting my instincts,” he said. “Whenever I feel like I can go for a block, I trust my teammates to have my back and just go for it. It’s about trusting the system while relying on my instincts.”
The Pelicans expected to be contenders coming into the season, but they’ll finish up November last in the Western Conference with a 4-16 record, notes Christian Clark of The New Orleans Times- Picayune. Friday’s loss to Memphis was their seventh straight, but at least they were more competitive than in Wednesday’s blowout against Toronto. Coach Willie Green said he challenged his players after that performance. “We allowed a team to come on our home floor and really make us look soft,” he said. “That’s what I told our group. That can’t happen.”
Brandon Ingram has already been ruled out of Sunday’s game at New York, marking his fourth straight absence with a strained right calf, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link).

Sixers, Pelicans Remain Focused On Making Playoffs

November 29th, 2024 at 9:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers will carry a 3-14 record into Saturday’s game in Detroit. The Pelicans are 4-16 after losing in Memphis on Friday. The two teams have combined for just four wins in the past month and – based on historical NBA outcomes – the odds are heavily against either one making the playoffs.

Still, neither the Sixers nor the Pelicans are prepared to throw in the towel in on this season, despite some compelling reasons to consider a pivot.

As Brian Windhorst of ESPN writes in an Insider-only story, the 76ers’ owe their 2025 first-round pick to Oklahoma City but would hang onto it if it lands in the top six. With uncertainty surrounding Joel Embiid‘s health, rival executives are keeping an eye on the situation in Philadelphia to see if bottoming out and trying to hang onto that pick is a route the club contemplates.

However, sources tell ESPN’s Tim Bontemps they don’t expect the Sixers to opt for that path, and certainly not this early in the season. Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (video link) conveys a similar sentiment, noting that he’s been given no indication a major change of direction has been considered in Philadelphia. The team still hasn’t seen its three stars – Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey – play a full game together.

“You would want at least 25 games before you really judge your team and they haven’t had their top guys together at all,” one rival executive said to Windhorst. “Normally you wouldn’t even have this conversation right now; you’d be focused on saving your season.”

“They have the information on Joel’s health and that will probably inform their moves,” another league exec told ESPN. “There’s a lot of things to consider, including what your owner wants to do.”

As ESPN’s duo and Fischer point out, the underwhelming level of competition in the Eastern Conference is one key reason why the Sixers remain optimistic about their playoff chances. Sub-.500 teams like the Hawks, Nets, Bulls, and Pistons are currently vying for three of the play-in spots in the East and are only a few games ahead of Philadelphia in the standings.

Over in the Western Conference, the Pelicans – another team with major aspirations that has been hit hard by injuries – face a more daunting challenge, given the relative strength of their opponents in the West. As Windhorst writes, the idea of taking a “gap” year – like the 2023/24 Grizzlies and 2019/20 Warriors did when they were decimated by injuries – looks like an increasingly tempting option for the Pelicans, who control their own 2025 first-round pick.

But that’s not a consideration in New Orleans right now, sources tell ESPN. Fischer (video link) has heard the same thing and suggests that, like the Sixers, the Pelicans still plan to be an in-season buyer, not a seller, on the trade market.

It’s possible that stance will change before the February 6 deadline. According to Bontemps, rival teams believe the Pelicans have dug themselves too deep a hole in the season’s first few weeks and won’t be able to make up enough ground to be a playoff team even if and when they get healthy. If New Orleans comes to the same conclusion in a couple months, it would certainly impact how the front office approaches the trade deadline.

Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, who is in the process of changing agents, remains a player to watch, says Windhorst, citing sources who say the two sides still can’t find common ground on a contract extension. However, finding a suitor willing to give up a desirable package to acquire and extend Ingram – and with whom the forward would be comfortable signing long-term – has been an challenge, Windhorst adds.

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