Should The Hawks Consider Trading For Brandon Ingram?

Jackson Caudell | May 5, 2024

Apr 29, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) passes / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

There are a number of teams in the NBA who are going to have a busy offseason. This is shaping up to be a summer where there is the possibility for a lot of change and two of the teams that might be changing are the Hawks and the Pelicans. I have written about these two teams being natural trade partners for each other this offseason and it is not hard to see why.

New Orleans needs a point guard and Atlanta is likely going to split the pairing of Dejounte Murray and Trae Young up. Ever since making the trade two years ago for Murray, the results have been poor and the Hawks have limited assets. Trading one (or both) would give the Hawks more assets and a chance to restructure the roster.

One candidate that has picked up steam over the past few months as a potential fit on the Hawks is Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram. Whether he would be playing alongside Trae Young or Dejounte Murray as the Hawks point guard, there is reason to think Ingram might be a fit for Atlanta.

No matter who Atlanta keeps as their point guard, this is a team that needs size at the forward/wing position, as well as someone who could double as a playmaker and be a two-way threat. While Ingram is not as strong of a defender as he is an offensive player, he would fit a lot of needs for the Hawks.

At 6'8 190 LBS, Ingram checks off the size that the Hawks need and he checks off the playmaking box as well. Whether he has the ball in his hands or not, Ingram can either get his own shot or he can set others up. He has averaged close to six assists per game for the past three seasons and has been a good shot-creator for the Pelican's offense. He had a tough offensive series vs the Thunder in the first round of the playoffs this season, but being with either Young or Murray would open up a lot for him

He is not a perfect fit though on Atlanta, especiallly from a defensive perspective. If he were to be paired with Young, he would add to the defensive concerns of the team, but they could be overcome because while he is not a great defender, he is not one of the worst in the league and he has size at least. The other thing would be his three-point shooting, as it has fluctuated a bit over the years. He shot 35.5% from three this year, down from 39% last year. The year before that, he shot 32%. There is inconsistency with his three-point shooting.

Ingram is also going into the last year of his contract and will need a new one after next season. Obviously, if the Hawks trade for him, they will be giving him a new contract, but it would also tie him and whoever the point guard is on the team together. Also consider that Jalen Johnson is going to be extension eligible this offseason, meaning Atlanta could have a lot of money tied up in either Young/Murray, Ingram. and Johnson. This would be the core of the Hawks if they made this trade and they would need to hope that it could bring them more success than they have had recently in the postseason.

What would a trade for Ingram look like? Bleacher Report's Dan Favale put together a trade proposal that sent Ingram and other assets to the Hawks for Trae Young and Onyeka Okongwu.

The Trade

Atlanta Hawks Receive: Dyson Daniels, Brandon Ingram, Larry Nance Jr., 2025 first-round pick (most favorable from New Orleans or the Lakers)*, 2026 first-round pick, 2027 first-round pick (top-four protection; most favorable from Milwaukee or New Orleans), 2030 second-round pick

New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Onyeka Okongwu, Trae Young

(*This assumes the Pelicans defer the Lakers' 2024 first-rounder to 2025.)

Why the Hawks Do It

"It seems inevitable that the Hawks will break up the Young-Dejounte Murray backcourt this offseason. Atlanta was outscored by over six points per 100 possessions this season when they shared the floor, and it doesn't have the assets to meaningfully fill its biggest roster voids (wings, defense) while keeping both.

Conventional wisdom suggests the Hawks should move Murray. Despite all of his flaws, Young is the more dominant player. But Atlanta could be overly worried about assembling a top-notch-ish defense around him, both sides could be ready for a change and/or the front office may recognize the 25-year-old with an All-NBA selection under his belt will garner a heftier return.

This package would even out the rotation while restocking the Hawks' draft stash during their leaner seasons. (San Antonio controls Atlanta's next three first-rounders after this year.) Ingram is an imperfect player speeding toward a new contract, but he's less ball-dominant than Young and brings enough secondary creation that he could help float the offense in tandem with Murray.

Daniels' offense is rickety, but he's already a smothering defender and high-IQ passer. His two more years of cost-controlled service would also go a long way for a franchise that figures to indefinitely stay beneath the tax. Giving up Okongwu would sting, but he isn't exactly a billboard for durability. The Hawks would still have Clint Capela, and they could approximate most of their intriguing frontcourt combos by subbing in Nance."

Why the Pelicans Do It

"Executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin sounds like someone who's ready to shake up the Pelicans following their Zion Williamson-less first-round sweep at the hands of the Oklahoma City "Thunder. That's a good thing.

He doesn't necessarily sound like someone who thinks New Orleans must prioritize a floor general over everything else. That's...not so good.

Point Zion is a revelation. But the Pelicans need an organizer who can sustain the show in the (likely) event that he misses extensive time or isn't available for postseason games. Young is #ThatDude. And he would assuredly nudge up New Orleans' overall three-point volume.

Whether he's the cleanest fit beside Zion is debatable. He still needs more experience playing off the ball. But the Pelicans could and should spam Zion-Trae pick-and-rolls. Keeping Trey Murphy and CJ McCollum would ensure that they'll have the surrounding spacing to capitalize on those actions.

Insulating Young on defense shouldn't be much of a problem. New Orleans wouldn't be surrendering Murphy, Jose Alvarado or Herb Jones, and it would still have the ability to re-sign Naji Marshall. Zion playing career-best defense for half of this season looms large here, too.

Jettisoning Ingram, Daniels and so many firsts might come off as a tall order at first glance. But getting Okongwu would make it far more palatable. Though he's not traditionally huge, he'd be a rim-protection and switchability upgrade over Nance and Jonas Valančiūnas and brings more offensive dynamism than advertised.

Okongwu has dabbled in corner threes, has traces of a floor game, and can score and facilitate out of pick-and-rolls. His arrival coupled with Young's playmaking and from-scratch scoring would pave the Pelicans a smoother road toward title contention."

This is not a bad deal for both sides, but I think the preference for the Hawks would be to trade Murray. While I don't think they could get this much back for him, Young is the better player and Ingram would be a nice fit alongside him. The draft capital they would get back from New Orleans would be nice as well.

We will have to see what both teams intend to do this summer, but both Atlanta and New Orleans could look to reshape their rosters. They also make natural trade partners as well.

Ingram would bring a lot of upside to the Hawks and it does seem like New Orleans might be willing to move him. There were trade talks between New Orleans and Atlanta before the trade deadline and those talks could be revisited during this offseason.