Shams Charania spoke on The Pat McAfee Show about Brandon Ingram‘s future. He claimed that both Ingram and the Pelicans want to continue their relationship and work together long-term. With a limited trade market for Ingram, the Pelicans want to make it work. But Ingram wants to be paid well, with a figure of $45-50 million per season being his expectation.
“Well, the only other truly great name, big All-Star caliber guy that kinda falls in that same Lauri Markkanen boat is Brandon Ingram. And his future in New Orleans, David Griffin (Pelicans GM) has talked about it. Brandon Ingram wants to stay in New Orleans. New Orleans wants Brandon Ingram.”
“The hold up there as he heads into the final year of his deal is the money. The Jazz are willing to give Lauri Markkanen near the max contract. The Pelicans, as of now, it’s a financial thing… If you give a fourth guy in that market, they want to see what that team looks like.”
“Right now, from what I’m told, Brandon Ingram’s trade market is limited. The sense around New Orleans is that he is going to be there, they are fully expecting Brandon Ingram to be a part of the team…”
“The sense around New Orleans is – you start the year, you see what you have, and then make any adjustments that you have to… From what I’m told, he’s looking for $45 to $50 million per year in an extension.”
"I'm told the trade market for Brandon Ingram is limited..
New Orleans wants him to stay and he wants to stay as well..
The sense around New Orleans is he's going to be there and they're fully expecting him to be part of this Pelicans team" ~ @ShamsCharania#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/SGHwYiebLk
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 6, 2024
Ingram wanting to stay with the Pelicans makes total sense. Ingram elevated his game to an All-Star level with the Pelicans. But his injury concerns, along with other teammates’ fitness issues, have held the team back from truly achieving what they might be capable of, and he would want to see what this team’s ceiling is when truly healthy.
The Pelicans did want to trade him at one point, with reports earlier this year that they were intensifying trade talks with other teams. It is clear that they couldn’t come to an agreement on any kind of deal, and have now changed their stance on keeping Ingram.
Where Does Ingram Play Next Season?
From what Charania reported above, it appears that Brandon Ingram will be a Pelican this year, barring a disastrous start from him or the team this season. The Pelicans have made a big move in the offseason, landing Dejounte Murray from the Hawks to try and improve the squad. With Murray’s arrival, the team now has three former All-Stars on the squad.
Ingram is coming off a decent season, where he averaged 20.8 points, 5.7 assists, and 5.1 rebounds. He didn’t play very well in the playoffs though, as his stats dropped significantly. In four games in the first round against the Thunder, Ingram averaged 14.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists.
It will be interesting to see how the Pelicans are able to get players to share the ball between four high-volume players like CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, Brandon Ingram, and Zion Williamson. Head coach Willie Green has a lot of things to figure out before the start of the season.
The Pelicans could have one of the most underrated starting lineups in the NBA after the Murray acquisition. This team could cause problems for some of the big hitters in the Western Conference and could make a run in the playoffs if they are healthy, and can figure out how to play together. But in the NBA, both those things are big ‘ifs’.
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