‘Blockbuster’ Trade Proposal Sends Brandon Ingram To Pacers, Myles Turner, Aaron Nesmith To Pelicans

One NBA analyst proposed that the New Orleans Pelicans and Indiana Pacers make a trade with each other. 

Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report proposed the following mock trade between the Pelicans and Pacers:

Indiana Pacers Receive: F Brandon Ingram

New Orleans Pelicans Receive: C Myles Turner, SF Aaron Nesmith

The Pacers lost to the Boston Celtics in the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals in four games, while the Pelicans lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round in four games. 

Ingram is in the final year of his contract. The Pelicans could trade the forward if an extension between the two sides isn’t reached. 

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 floor, 35.5% from 3 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 veteran 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 Lauri 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.”

One of the top centers in the NBA, Turner averaged 17.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.5 steals and 1.9 blocks for the Pacers in 2023-24 while shooting 52.4% overall, 35.8 from beyond the arc and 77.3% from the free-throw line. 

Turner has career averages of 13.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.7 steals and 2.2 blocks. He’s spent his entire NBA career with the Pacers. 

Nesmith is a solid role player. He averaged 12.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.7 blocks in 2023-24 while shooting 49.6% from the field, 41.9% from beyond the arc and 78.1% from the free-throw line. 

Nesmith, 24, has career averages of 8.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.4 blocks with the Celtics and Pacers.