Report: Pelicans Could Trade Brandon Ingram To Heat For Jimmy Butler

According to NBA insiders Jake Fischer and Marc Stein, the New Orleans Pelicans could trade Brandon Ingram to the Miami Heat for Jimmy Butler. 

Butler has requested a trade from the Heat. 

“The New Orleans Pelicans have this week registered interest in trading for Butler, league sources tell The Stein Line,” Stein and Fischer wrote. “The extent of New Orleans’ interest was not immediately clear, but sources say that a firm offer from the Pelicans would be built around the $36 million expiring contract of Brandon Ingram. New Orleans has been navigating its own trade scenarios for Ingram after the Pelicans — like Miami with Butler — were unable to reach an extension agreement with the former All-Star this past offseason. Sources told The Stein Line that the Pelicans, after Ingram’s $36 million expiring contract had been discussed by rival teams in various trade proposals designed to help facilitate Butler’s Miami exit, decided to approach the Heat themselves about swapping Ingram for Butler.

“It is believed that the prospect of acquiring a player of Ingram’s caliber would certainly get the Heat’s attention, given that Miami is openly motivated to make the playoffs this season (as explained in detail here) even if it is successful with its goal to find a trade that rids them of Butler before the NBA’s trade deadline next Thursday at 3 PM ET.”

Butler is averaging 17.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists this season while shooting 54.0% from the field, 36.1% from beyond the arc and 80.1% from the free-throw line. He has guided the Heat to the NBA Finals twice since joining the franchise in 2019. 

Ingram has only appeared in 18 games this season due to injuries. He’s averaging 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks while shooting 46.5% from the field, 37.4% from beyond the arc and 85.5% from the free-throw line. 

Butler is making $48.8 million this season. He has a player option worth $52.4 million for next season. 

Meanwhile, Ingram is making $36 million this season in the final year of his contract. He becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer.