Brandon Ingram wants to get paid. As he prepares to enter the unknown in 2020 free-agency, a disgruntled Ingram shared his frustrations about seeing other members of the 2016 Draft class sign long-term extensions before him.
“When we talked about the extension, of course, I’m human,” he said to ESPN’s Andrew Lopez. “When I look at other guys, I’m like, ‘This motherf–ker got an extension? Oh my god. Man, we can lace up right now and play one-on-one to 15 and this motherf–ker won’t score.’ That’s how I looked at it as a competitor.”
Ben Simmons, Jaylen Brown and Buddy Hield all signed huge deals this summer, setting them up for years to come. After he was traded from the Lakers, the Pelicans opted not to offer the same opportunity to Ingram. With much of his game still a big question mark, New Orleans likely wants to see more of Ingram to determine if he fits with the team and, more importantly, if he fits with Zion Williamson.
Additionally, health has been an increasing concern for B.I. He was diagnosed with a blood clot in his right shoulder last March while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. It basically ended his season.
Still, the 22-year-old forward is averaging a career-high 25.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.8 assists on 48% shooting this season. With several key players out, Ingram has stepped up to become the first option for the team.
We’ll see where it will get him this summer when a weak free-agent class and a few desperate teams should provide more than enough options for the former 2nd overall pick.
