Trade Proposal Sends Brandon Ingram To Cavaliers, Darius Garland To Pelicans

One NBA analyst proposed that the New Orleans Pelicans and Cleveland Cavaliers make a trade with each other this offseason. 

Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report proposed the following trade idea between the Pelicans and Cavaliers:

New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Darius Garland

Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: Brandon Ingram and a 2025 first-round pick (via LAL)

The Pelicans are interested in acquiring Garland and the Cavaliers are interested in acquiring Ingram, multiple sources told Hoops Wire. 

Ingram averaged 20.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.6 blocks for the Pelicans this season while shooting 49.2% from the field, 35.5% from beyond the arc and 80.1% from the free-throw line. He’ll make $36 million next season in the final year of his contract. 

Garland averaged 18.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.1 blocks for the Cavaliers in 2023-24 while shooting 44.6% from the floor, 37.1% from 3 and 83.4% from the free-throw line. He’ll make $36.7 million next season.

“Ingram would give the Cavs a player type they’ve long sought, a rangy combo forward who can create his own offense,” Hughes wrote. “Garland could slot in as the pure point guard and three-point shooting threat New Orleans needs alongside Zion Williamson.

“This deal comes with some potential sticking points for the Pelicans. It doesn’t address their lack of a rim-protecting center unless you want to expand it to include Jarrett Allen, and CJ McCollum would almost certainly have to be rerouted in a separate trade.

“A McCollum-Garland backcourt would present more severe versions of the issues that attended the latter’s pairing with Donovan Mitchell in Cleveland: duplicative skill sets and a dangerous lack of size and defensive impact.

“In the end, New Orleans gets a substantial upgrade at the 1 in exchange for Ingram, who makes more sense for the Cavs and whose departure would allow the Pelicans to settle on Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones as their no-questions-asked wing starters.”

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, “it is believed” Garland will request a trade if Mitchell signs an extension with the Cavaliers this offseason. 

Meanwhile, according to NBA reporter Will Guillory of The Athletic, the Pelicans are “unlikely” to offer Ingram a max contract extension this offseason. Ingram is eligible for a four-year, $208 million extension.

The Pelicans lost in the first round of the playoffs this year in four games, while the Cavaliers lost to the Boston Celtics in the second round in five games.