New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram has switched representation mid-season in preparation for his 2025 free agency where he’s expected to be one of the top stars available on the market. Ingram’s tenure with the Pelicans is widely expected to be over, and Shams Charania has reported that Ingram will be signing with Rich Paul’s Klutch Sports ahead of a big year in his career.
“New Orleans Pelicans star forward Brandon Ingram, currently set to be the top offseason free agent, is signing with Klutch Sports Group, sources told ESPN on Sunday. Ingram recently made the decision to sign with the Rich Paul-led Klutch Sports Group, and now his future comes into greater focus on and off the floor.”
Ingram couldn’t agree on a contract extension with the Pelicans in the offseason as the forward wanted a max contract which the franchise was unwilling to offer. Amidst another injury-riddled year for the Pelicans as the team might already be out of Playoff contention, Ingram is expected to be one of the names available on the trade market as the Pelicans hope to avoid losing him for nothing in the offseason.
Ingram is averaging 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists this season. The widespread injury problems on the Pelicans mean that their hopes to be competitive this season have already eroded, with now being the perfect time to maximize value for Ingram in a trade to help put the franchise in a strong position for next season.
It won’t be easy for teams in the new second apron era to trade for Ingram’s $36 million contract, but teams will be trying nonetheless with the hopes of not giving up too many future assets for a player who could walk in free agency after half a season on his new team.
The Pelicans Expected To Gauge Ingram’s Value Until The Trade Deadline
The Pelicans will have to be patient with a potential Ingram trade, as there have been no mid-season trades this early into the season so far. The pool of players the Pelicans could potentially acquire for Ingram increases exponentially after December 15 and then again in late January due to various restrictions on trading players being lifted at those points of the season.
Unconfirmed reports suggest that the Pelicans are trying to figure out what Ingram’s value would be on the open market.
“The Pelicans are expected to once again gauge the trade value for Brandon Ingram. Ingram’s desire remains for an eventual max contract, which has limited his market of potentially interested teams.”
Given his consistent production as a scorer in the West, the former All-Star could fetch a big dollar amount from a cap space team in the offseason, but few teams have the space necessary to accommodate Ingram’s wishes. If he is to be traded, it’ll have to be to a destination he’s willing to re-sign, otherwise, nobody will be willing to give up any real value for him given his free-agent status.
Ingram could be one of the biggest names on the trade market this season, and it’ll be interesting to see if any teams take a bite at acquiring him amidst what looks like a tanking year for the Pelicans.
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