New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Proposal Sends Brandon Ingram To The Lakers, Hawks Shore Up Their Depth

Will Brandon Ingram be traded this offseason?

Apr 16, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) shoots a jump shot against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half of a play-in game of the 2024 NBA playoffs at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 NBA offseason news cycle has slowed down considerably since the opening days of free agency, but there are still some high-level trade targets and bargain free agents out there that can make an impact on teams going forward. Utah forward Lauri Markkanen, Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, and Bulls guard Zach LaVine are still seen as players who could be moved this summer, with Ingram being the most likely of the three to be traded.

The Atlanta Hawks and New Orleans Pelicans have already made one big trade this offseason. The Hawks sent point guard Dejounte Murray to New Orleans for Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance, E.J. Liddell, Cody Zeller, and two first-round picks. One of those first-round picks is an unprotected pick from the Lakers in 2025. It was a bit of a surprise at first to see that Clint Capela and Ingram were not included in the deal, since New Orleans really needs a center and Ingram makes a certain level of sense in Atlanta.

The Lakers have struck out on every free agent or trade target they have gone after. They were rumored to be interested in Murray, Klay Thompson, and Jonas Valanciunas, among others, but have struck out on them all and might be bringing the same team back. Most of the talk around the Lakers has shifted away from them going after big-name players and now is focused on guys like Jerami Grant, Cam Johnson, or Dorian Finney-Smith. That seems to be what the Lakers are going to do, if they do anything, but there is always a chance that they take a swing.

What a three-team trade that all three teams could pull off?

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.

Here is the trade.

Hawks receive: Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt

Pelicans Receive: Clint Capela and Rui Hachimura

Lakers Receive: Brandon Ingram

Why the Hawks do this trade: For Atlanta, they would move Capela and turn him into Vincent and Vanderbilt. When Atlanta traded Murray, they were left without a secondary ball handler and clear option at the backup point guard spot. Could second year guard Kobe Bufkin take that spot? It is possible, but Quin Snyder gets a veteran option in Vincent until Bufkin is ready. Vanderbilt is a very good defender and is only 25 years old so he fits on the Hawks timeline. He is not a good shooter and floor-spacer. He would provide depth for the Hawks and be Jalen Johnson's backup. The Hawks remain under the luxury tax with this move as well. Atlanta has five centers on its team right now and this would get rid of one.

Why the Hawks don't do this trade: For starters, Atlanta is already under a roster crunch and would only be adding to their problems by adding two players. The Hawks would need to make other moves on their roster to get to the 15-man roster limit and it is not clear what those moves would be. They could trade De'Andre Hunter and release Cody Zeller, but their would be other moves that need to happen. There is also no sign that the Hawks are interested in Vincent or Vanderbilt. The Hawks might be comfortable with Bufkin as the backup point guard. As mentioned above, the Hawks own the Lakers 2025 unprotected pick. While I don't think adding Ingram makes the Lakers title contenders, it does make them a little better and that would hurt the Hawks chances of getting a higher pick. Vincent is good, but he is not a high-level offensive player. Vanderbilt would be the best thing in this deal. This trade might not make the Hawks worse, but are they better because of it? You could argue they are not.

Why the Pelicans do this trade: It gets them a starting-level center who is still good on the defensive end and has experience playing with Murray. New Orleans could let Capela play out the last year of his contract and then decide whether or not they will re-sign him. Hachimura provides good depth for them and is a solid rotation player. Capela would be a great player for rookie center Yves Missi to learn from.

Why the Pelicans don't do this trade: The only reason I think the Pelicans don't do this trade is that it puts them slightly over the luxury tax, which the Pelicans have never paid. Could they make some small moves to get under? Yeah, they could. Is this the ideal return for Ingram?

Why the Lakers do this trade: It gets them a third star to put next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis and they get younger. It should be noted that the Lakers have not been connected to Ingram this offseason, but of the remaining big-name trade targets remaining, he makes the most sense. He is younger than Markkanen and can be someone that the Lakers can continue to build around whenever James retires. Los Angeles gets better and does not have to give up any draft capital to do so.

Why the Lakers don't do this trade: The rumored reason that Ingram has not been traded yet is that no team is eager to give him a max contract. Are the Lakers willing to do that? While Ingram is good, I don't know if he fixes the Lakers biggest issue, which is perimeter defense in my opinion. Having Ingram, Austin Reaves, and D'Angelo Russell (assuming he is not traded) on the floor would be a huge issue defensively, even with Anthony Davis on the floor. By trading these players away, the Lakers lose some depth and their bench would be filled with rookies and inexperienced players.