New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Deal Sends Brandon Ingram to ATL to Halt Skid, Orlando Adds Veteran Shooting

Could the Hawks use a Brandon Ingram trade to keep themselves afloat in the Eastern Conference after losing Jalen Johnson for the season?

Nov 3, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) dribbles against Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The trade deadline of February 6th is drawing closer and closer. With it, the amount of rumors surrounding the Atlanta Hawks seems to grow.

One of the most recent ones that emerged today concerns New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram. Throughout the summer and earlier in the season, it seemed that the Hawks were not interested in Ingram because they did not want to sign him to a new deal.

As things stand today, they might be more interested. Jalen Johnson is done for the season with a shoulder injury and the Hawks do not have control of their first-round pick in 2025. They will not be able to reap the benefits of being sellers at the trade deadline unless their plan is to create more salary flexibility for future seasons. Meanwhile, Ingram has not played a game in six weeks due to a lingering ankle sprain. His salary of $36 million remains prohibitive for interested teams to match. Therefore, the asking price that New Orleans can reasonably demand is extremely low.

The unique circumstances that both teams find themselves in could make them trade partners. However, a third team might need to be involved in order to take on enough salary to make it make sense for both teams. One team that makes some sense as that third team is the Orlando Magic. On paper, they/re firmly in position to make a trade to supplement their playoff rotation. They are currently the seventh seed despite missing stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner for an extended period of time. However, they need more pieces in order to get themselves out of the play-in.

What would a trade between these three teams look like? Here is one possible framework:

It should be noted that this is just a speculative and fun exercise to see what kind of moves can be made, not what I think the Hawks should do or will do. That is all.

Atlanta Hawks Receive: Brandon Ingram, Karlo Matkovic, 2025 2nd round pick (via Boston/Memphis, from Orlando), 2027 2nd round pick (via Orlando)

Orlando Magic Receive: C.J McCollum, Larry Nance Jr, David Roddy, 2028 1st-round pick (top-12 protected, via New Orleans Pelicans)

New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Kentavius Caldwell-Pope, Clint Capela, Anthony Black, Gary Harris, 2027 2nd round pick (from LAC, via Atlanta), 2030 2nd round pick (via Atlanta), 2025 1st round pick (from Denver, via Orlando)

Why the Hawks do this trade: When healthy, Ingram brings size and shooting to an Atlanta lineup desperately in need of both. In the 18 games he's played in 2024, he's averaging 22.2 points on 56% true shooting and 37.4% from deep on six attempts per game. He can make simple passes (5.2 assists per game) and gives the Hawks a possible defensive answer towards the wings that have given them issues in Johnson's absence. His deal also expires after this season, so Atlanta preserves long-term flexibility.

Why the Hawks do not do this trade: "When healthy" is a crucial consideration when it comes to assessing Ingram. He is not the most durable player (he has never played in 70+ games beyond his rookie season) and he is a ball-stopper. Despite his size, Ingram has never been a particularly impressive defender for an entire season. He has been good in spurts, but it's hard to label him as a consistent answer for Atlanta's defensive woes.

Why the Magic do this trade: McCollum can really shoot the ball and for an Orlando Magic team that is last in 3P%, that's probably all they need to be interested. He's one of the better high-volume shooters from deep as well, posting a 37.2% mark from deep on 8.3 attempts per game. The consistent scoring that he offers makes him an intriguing fit around Paolo and Franz, who demand a ton of defensive attention. His contract also expires next year, so it won't impact their plans for a Banchero extension. Nance gives them insurance at backup center behind Goga Bitazde and Wendell Carter Jr. after they lost Mo Wagner for the year.

Why the Magic do not do this trade: Anthony Black hasn't lived up to the billing of a top-ten pick, but it still would be hard to give up on him due to his defense and playmaking upside. KCP's defense has been rather good and his offense has started to improve heading into the last two months of the regular season. They're also forking over a first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, which projects to be rather strong.

Why the Pelicans do this trade: Black is a very interesting prospect. His offensive numbers are rather bleak - 9.1 points and 3.5 assists on 40.8/26.7/74% splits. However, he's shown improvement from last year and his defense remains strong. At 6'7, he's capable of handling defensive assingments and making passes that are unavaliable to other point guards. If he can form some chemistry with center Yves Missi and a strong wing tandem of Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III, the Pelicans could be back in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race sooner than expected. Caldwell-Pope is a solid 3&D veteran who remains a connective piece, even if his shooting hasn't been as strong this year. Capela's contract expires after this season and he allows the Pelicans to preserve the health of Missi. New Orleans also ducks the luxury tax with this move.

Why the Pelicans do not do this trade: Black's shooting is still a massive question mark and New Orleans might not be the right development context for him. Caldwell-Pope's contract also extends into the next two seasons and they may not be interested in taking on that long-term money.

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