Would Jazz Trade For Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram Make Sense For All?

The Utah Jazz have been linked to supposedly available New Orleans Pelicans small forward Brandon Ingram, and such a deal might make sense, per Keith Smith of Spotrac.

“Feels like there are a handful of Pelicans-Jazz trades that send Ingram to Utah that could end up with both teams being better,” Smith wrote. “I know some Jazz fans don’t necessarily love that idea, but nothing says you can’t sit guys to tank down the line, or even re-trade Ingram.”

Now that the Jazz have reportedly agreed to a massive contract extension with forward Lauri Markkanen they may be on the lookout for some help. Within the past year, they tried to acquire Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (then of the Milwaukee Bucks) and New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (then with the Brooklyn Nets), per The Athletic.

So perhaps a trade attempt for Ingram could be next.

Buzz surrounding Ingram has died down in recent weeks, with most of the NBA offseason focus turning toward Markkanen and his contract extension. But the Markkanen situation is settled.

That leaves the plight of the Pelicans and Ingram, who has one year left on his $36 million deal. He reportedly is looking for the type of extension that the Pelicans aren’t likely willing to offer.

As an aside, newcomer Daniel Theis is the only center on the Pelicans’ current roster with NBA experience. Former center Jonas Valanciunas signed with the Washington Wizards in free agency. So, yes, there’s a hole in the middle, and yes, New Orleans could use Ingram as a trade chip to fix it.

“The Jazz are a team NBA insiders have circled as being a potential Ingram suitor,” wrote Christian Clark of NOLA.com. “The bigs on Utah’s roster include Walker Kessler, John Collins, Drew Eubanks and Kyle Filipowski. Kessler, who’s still on his rookie contract, offers rim protection, a quality Pelicans executive David Griffin has been seeking to add for more than a year. Collins primarily plays power forward, but he can step in at center in small-ball lineups. He offers athleticism and serviceable outside shooting.”

Ingram averaged 20.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.6 blocks in 2023-24 while shooting 49.2% from the field, 35.5% from beyond the arc and 80.1% from the free-throw line.

He carries career averages of 19.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.6 blocks with the Los Angeles Lakers and Pelicans. He won the 2019-20 Most Improved Player of the Year Award. 

According to Marc Stein of the Stein Line, Ingram’s camp is looking for teams who will pay the wing $210 million. 

“Ingram, with one All-Star appearance on his resume like Markkanen, has only one season left on his current contract and is said to be seeking a four-year contract extension worth nearly $210 million,” Stein wrote. “The Pelicans have made it clear that they won’t go to those lengths to re-sign him and, while various teams have explored Ingram trades since the offseason began in earnest, no other team willing to sign the 26-year-old at those numbers has yet emerged … with league sources saying that Ingram’s camp has also joined the efforts to find one.”

(Ashish Mathur contributed to this report.)