Trade Proposal Sends Brandon Ingram To Jazz, Walker Kessler And John Collins To Pelicans

One NBA analyst proposed a trade idea between the New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz. 

Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report proposed the following mock trade:

The Trade: The New Orleans Pelicans acquire Walker Kessler and John Collins from the Utah Jazz for Brandon Ingram

“Utah is one of the few organizations with the right combination of characteristics to take on Ingram,” Hughes wrote in his NBA trade proposal. “For Danny Ainge and Co., Ingram could be a buy-low candidate worth keeping on an extension or a player whose value it rehabilitates ahead of a trade-deadline flip. The Jazz are flexible, don’t need picks and can afford to take chances other teams won’t—on players exactly like Ingram.

“The Jazz benched Kessler for chunks of last season and have no use for Collins or the remaining $53.2 million he’s owed through 2025-26. They come out of this deal with a worst-case scenario of…more cap space in the summer of 2025.

“New Orleans already has Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III ready to take over the wing spots between Dejounte Murray and Zion Williamson. Ingram’s departure would still hurt, but not as much as it would if he walked away for nothing over the summer. The longer the Pels wait, the lower their return on Ingram may be. If they’re not going to pay him, it’d be best to move him sooner than later.

“Kessler would fill a major need at the 5 for New Orleans, and though he seemed to regress as a sophomore, the shot-blocking big man has been one of the best rim-protectors in the league since he turned pro. Team him up with Williamson, Jones, Murphy and Murray, and the Pelicans could find themselves among the league’s stingiest units this season.”

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

Ingram will make $36 million next season in the final year of his contract. 

Kessler averaged 8.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.5 steals and 2.4 blocks for the Jazz last season while shooting 65.4% from the field, 21.1% from beyond the arc and 60.2% from the free-throw line. He’ll make $2.9 million next season. 

Collins averaged 15.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.6 assists and 0.9 blocks for the Jazz last season while shooting 53.2% from the field, 37.1% from beyond the arc and 79.5% from the free-throw line. He’ll make $26.6 million next season.