Report: Jazz Could Pursue Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram

According to NBA reporter Christian Clark of NOLA.com, the Utah Jazz could pursue New Orleans Pelicans star Brandon Ingram. 

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

The Jazz are a potential team to monitor for Brandon Ingram, per @cclark_13 (https://t.co/lsgi6onJoP).

If Utah signs Lauri Markkanen to a new long-term contract in August, they could pivot to a win-now move acquiring Ingram. pic.twitter.com/C4QsUhPTt8

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) July 28, 2024

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 Los Angeles 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. 

Lauri Markkanen becomes extension eligible on August 6. He’s on an expiring $18 million contract and due for a big long-term raise.

The Jazz are not actively shopping Markkanen, but if they receive a massive offer for the forward, a trade could happen.