Report: Lakers Haven’t Reached Out To Pelicans About Brandon Ingram Trade

According to NBA reporter Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the Los Angeles Lakers haven’t reached out to the New Orleans Pelicans about a Brandon Ingram trade. 

The Pelicans are open to trading Ingram, who is in the final year of his contract.

The Lakers traded Ingram to the Pelicans in 2019 in the blockbuster Anthony Davis trade. 

“Right now, a blockbuster deal, I just don’t see it. I don’t see the Lakers having enough for Lauri Markkanen,” Buha said on his podcast. “I’ve not heard of any interest with Brandon Ingram. So I don’t see them going for those two guys.”

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.

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

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, 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.”

Ingram will make $36 million next season. The Pelicans haven’t won a playoff series since acquiring Ingram from the Lakers. 

Los Angeles lost to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 2024 playoffs in five games, while the Pelicans lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round in four games.