Have the Pelicans identified a potential trade partner for Brandon Ingram?

Have the Pelicans identified a potential trade partner for Brandon Ingram?

The NBA is in a lull right now, but things could pick up quickly. On August 6, teams can start negotiating extensions and pay raises with players again, which could impact the New Orleans Pelicans.

Currently, the Pelicans are in a holding pattern with Brandon Ingram. Other teams are waiting to see what happens with Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen before making any moves involving the Pelicans’ wing. There’s another reason this could affect New Orleans.

“Assuming Lauri gets extended in Utah, it’s possible the Jazz might be interested in Brandon Ingram,” said Nola.com’s Christian Clark on the From the Wing podcast. “If they re-sign Lauri, they might aim to be more competitive in the west by trading for Ingram.”

Clark isn’t alone in thinking Markkanen will stay in Utah. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon noted that no offers have tempted the Jazz to trade their 7-footer, as mentioned on the Lowe Post with Zach Lowe. Lowe also reported that a league source suggested the idea of Utah trading for Ingram.

“This is relevant to the Pelicans because they might make another attempt to trade Brandon Ingram before the season starts,” Clark added. “It’s possible Ingram remains a Pelican next season, and they try to address roster issues mid-season. However, after the Lauri decision, the Pelicans will likely revisit the Ingram trade market. They know the current roster isn’t ideal.”

Clark predicts the Ingram trade market will become more active after early August.

A potential Ingram-Jazz trade has several interesting elements. Utah would likely have to include John Collins, who earns $26.5 million next season, for salary matching. Collins is a decent athletic wing but not as good as Ingram and wouldn’t solve the Pelicans’ need for a starting-quality center. Utah has Walker Kessler, who could be valuable to New Orleans if included in the trade.

However, trading for Ingram might not be worth it for Utah. Ingram and Markkanen would form a strong scoring duo, but not a championship-caliber team without significant development. Ingram seeks a four-year, $205 million max extension, which, combined with Markkanen’s extension, could strain the Jazz’s salary cap, putting them in a challenging position of being neither contenders nor tanking for high draft picks.

Finding a trade partner for Ingram is challenging, as Pelicans VP of Basketball Operations David Griffin acknowledged. While reports of the Jazz’s interest are intriguing, they shouldn’t be taken seriously unless further reports indicate progress.     Z z zzz