With Paul George and Klay Thompson finding new homes, the options for teams trying to find more playmaking and shooting are dwindling. It is because Utah is getting more calls about Lauri Markkanen and why interest in DeMar DeRozan appears to be rising.
This also applies to Brandon Ingram of the Pelicans, with more teams calling about a possible trade, Marc Stein wrote about this in his latest newsletter.
New Orleans’ attempts to trade Brandon Ingram have intensified in recent days, league sources say. Sources tell The Stein Line that on Ingram’s side, with the reality that the contract extension terms his camp was hoping for would not come from the Pelicans, there was also an exploration of trade options.
New Orleans doesn’t want to pay Ingram his next contract – he is entering the final year of his current contract at $36 million – and was wanting to change it before the addition of Dejounte Murray. The Pelicans have Trey Murphy III deserving of more minutes at wing and are trying to sign him to a rookie contract extension this offseason. Starting from Ingram helps pave that path.
The Sacramento Kings have been the most mentioned team in an Ingram trade, with a trade based on Harrison Barnes, Kevin Huerter and picks. The Kings also explored using this package of players to get Utah’s Lauri Markkanen or Washington’s Kyle Kuzma.
Ingram averaged 20.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.7 assists in nearly 33 minutes per night for the Pelicans in the 64 games he played last season, but his injury history is a concern for teams looking to acquire him. it.
