New Orleans Pelicans small forward Brandon Ingram has been among the biggest names on the offseason rumor mill, but that doesn’t mean a trade is in the works.
Just ask Pelicans head of basketball operations David Griffin.
“Brandon wants to stay here. He believes in what we’re building,” Griffin told reporters, via Will Guillory of The Athletic. “That’s meaningful to us. … At the same time, there’s a financial reality that we all deal with. We’re excited about Brandon. We know he’s excited about us.”
Ingrim is entering the final year of his contract, and per Marc Stein of The Stein Line, the Pelicans could trade him this week. The outside interest is undoubtedly there — and rival executives have told Hoops Wire the Pelicans are making calls.
“A prominent former All-Star considered more likely to be dealt this week with the draft and free agency converging: New Orleans’ Brandon Ingram,” Stein wrote. “It was roughly six weeks ago, back on May 12, that I wrote about a growing belief leaguewide that New Orleans would seriously explore the trade market for Ingram before next season. Anticipation that Ingram will soon be on the move has only swelled some six weeks later.”
Ingram averaged 20.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.6 blocks for the Pelicans in 2023-24, shooting 49.2% from the field, 35.5% on 3-pointers 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.
Ingram has been linked to the Philadelphia 76ers and several others in trade rumors.
Meanwhile, to NBA insider Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Cleveland Cavaliers are not “enthralled” with the idea of trading for Ingram.
“There’s been some chatter about whether Cleveland would have interest in Brandon Ingram, but I’ve gotten the sense from talking to league sources that Cleveland isn’t enthralled with the idea of trading for him and then having to pay him a ton of money after his contract season,” Scotto reported. “I’m quite confident that New Orleans looks at Darius Garland and values him if they were going to part with Ingram, but I’m not sure that would be a fit (for Cleveland) based on the intel I have.”
The Pelicans acquired Ingram from the Lakers in 2019. New Orleans hasn’t won a playoff series with Ingram.
(Ashish Mathur contributed to this report.)
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