New Three-Team Blockbuster Trade Proposal Sends Ingram + Bogdan to Warriors, Pelicans Get Starting Center

Could the Hawks rebuild their asset pool by being the third team in a deal that sends Brandon Ingram to the Warriors?

Nov 5, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) fights for a loose ball against Atlanta Hawks forward DeAndre Hunter (12) in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Larry Robinson-USA TODAY Sports / Larry Robinson-USA TODAY Sports

As the NBA season draws closer, the trade market has been extremely barren for Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram. New Orleans still has not traded their starting small forward and has little interest in signing him to the four-year, $208 million dollar extension he is looking for. Otherwise, the deal would be done already.

Reportedly, they are perfectly content with keeping him. Pelicans president of basketball operations David Griffin said this about the situation back in July:

"So I think from a relationship standpoint, we've been really clear we'd prefer Brandon stays with us and Brandon's been pretty clear he prefers to stay with us. At the same time, there is a financial reality to this, and where I think we can go in terms of keeping this group together might not be as far as he and his agency would like us to be able to go. And so, for now, we're going to play it out. I think we're committed to each other. I think we're committed to seeing if this team can work in a way that makes it make sense."

Griffin seems to think it's an issue of a NBA-wide lack of financial resources. He said as much during the same interview:

"When you don't have to pay them [players like Ingram], you want all of them. And then when you actually have to hand them $50 million a year, mechanically, it gets complicated."

Mechanics aside, this is a situation that needs to get resolved sooner rather than later. Trading for Dejounte Murray adds another offensive option that will demand significant touches. Ingram is not a player that thrives without the ball in his hands and the Pelicans need to clear room for a Trey Murphy extension. Trading him seems more like a question of "when" rather than "if".

If a trade does transpire, the Warriors are an interesting destination. They can offer up Kevon Looney as a starting center, who is better than their current starter, Daniel Theis. Looney fell out of the Warriors' rotation last year, but it was a tough year with plenty of turmoil for Golden State. He gives them a cheap starting option who can do the dirty work on the boards that frees up Zion Williamson, Murray and CJ McCollum to power the offense.

However, Ingram alone would not be enough to elevate them into being a contender. That is where Atlanta could make sense as the third team - adding the players they need to put Golden State firmly in the top five of the Western Conference.

What would a trade between these teams look like?

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:

Atlanta Hawks get: Gary Payton II, Buddy Hield, Moses Moody, 2025 1st round pick (unprotected, via Golden State Warriors), 2028 1st-round pick (top-five protected, via Golden State Warriors)

Golden State Warriors get: Brandon Ingram, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Cody Zeller,

New Orleans Pelicans get: Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney, 2026 2nd round pick (unprotected from Atlanta Hawks, via Golden State Warriors), 2028 2nd round pick (unprotected from Atlanta Hawks, via Golden State Warriors)

Why the Hawks would do this trade: The Hawks getting two first-round picks in the deal, especially an unprotected one in 2025, would undoubtedly be appealing as they sell high on Bogdanovic's incredible season and Olympics run. Buddy Hield is not the same level of player as Bogdanovic, but he has been an incredible high-volume shooter from deep and it is not difficult to envision a bounce-back year in Atlanta. Payton is nice insurance for Kobe Bufkin and Moody is a solid wing with length and some floor-stretching ability. He could grow into the long-term replacement for Bogdanovic as the Hawks' sixth man.

Why the Hawks would not do this trade: Bogdanovic is still an extremely effective player and boosts Atlanta's offensive success (12th best offense in the NBA by offensive rating last year). Hield had a down year in Philadelphia and Moody's role was very inconsistent for the Warriors last season. It's not hard to envision all of these acquistions making minor impacts in Atlanta.

Why the Warriors would do this trade: The Warriors being able to put a lineup of Curry - Podziemski - Ingram - Green - Jackson-Davis out on the floor while bringing Bogdanovic off the bench could easily be one of the best offenses in the NBA. Curry is still one of the best offensive engines in the NBa and this team would be nearly matchup-proof against any defense they encounter. A backcourt of Curry-Bogdanovic is also incredibly difficult to cover on the perimeter.

Why the Warriors would not do this trade: They are sending out a lot of first-round draft capital in this deal and I am unsure if they have enough high-end talent to put themselves in real conversations of making the Finals. This offense is capable of matching up with anyone, but they would need some significant breaks in order to make a deep post-season run.

Why the Pelicans would do this trade: The Pelicans are getting a starting center who can likely hold up for 60-65 games and give them something on both ends of the floor, which is something they lacked before. Looney is not an elite option, but it does free them up from having to play Zion major minutes at center, which puts more strain on his body. Furthermore, Wiggins could be a fairly impactful two-way player for them if he returns to form and does not demand a lot of offensive touches to be effective.

Why the Pelicans would not do this trade: The Wiggins contract is one of the worst in the NBA at the moment. It also does not clear a ton of room for them to extend Trey Murphy III and if it backfires, it could leave the Pelicans in a very awkward situation. Looney is also past his prime and there is a chance he is only a marginal upgrade from Theis.

Who says no? I would guess that New Orleans and Golden State back out of this deal. The Pelicans probably don't want to take on the Wiggins contract and the Warriors are likely wary of sending out two first-round picks, even if it is for a player like Bogdanovic.