Jazz Linked to Blockbuster Pelicans Botched Trade Rumor

The Utah Jazz were in the mix to land a star this last summer.

Nov 16, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) dribbles against Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Utah Jazz are in the midst of what’s looking like a long rebuild after trading Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert during the offseason of 2022. Regardless of the long road ahead, Jazz executives haven’t stopped sniffing around the trade market for talent upgrades. The latest rumor involved Brandon Ingram and the New Orleans Pelicans. 

Ingram is looking for a lucrative new contract, yet the market for teams willing to pay him seems virtually nonexistent. According to sources, the Pelicans have been aggressively looking to find Ingram a new home and are unwilling to meet his contract demands. With the Pelicans stumbling out of the gate due to many injuries, the team could be looking to duck the luxury tax.

Despite the lack of interest across the league, the Jazz were still rumored to be close to landing Ingram in an exchange last summer. However, according to WDSU TV contributor Shamit Dua, Ingram squashed the deal because he had no desire to play in Salt Lake City past his current contract.

“Multiple league sources have relayed to me that the Pelicans and Jazz were deep in talks which were shut down by Ingram’s lack of desire to re-sign in Salt Lake City, " Dua said.

While it is no secret that the Jazz were sniffing around for upgrades over the summer, this is the first report directly tying the Jazz to Ingram. It makes some sense for the Jazz. Ingram is still 26 years old, is a former All-Star and NBA’s Most Improved Award recipient, and has averaged over 23 points, five assists, and five rebounds per game over the past five seasons. 

It’s unclear if the move for Ingram would’ve been part of a bigger offseason overhaul or if the team would’ve continued to focus on its current youth movement. Pairing Ingram with Lauri Markkanen likely would’ve led to more wins for the Jazz in the short term. With the Jazz sitting at 4-15 and their eyes on the lottery, it might not have been the best time to acquire Ingram. 

Ingram’s lack of interest in re-signing with the Jazz is nothing new to the organization. In the last few years, there have been rumors of players expressing this sentiment to the front office. Whether these players lacked interest in being with the Jazz because of their current rebuild or the perception of the organization is unknown. It’s again a reminder of the difficulties of building a championship contender in a small market. 

Even with Ingram, the Pelicans have started the season 4-16, good for last place in the Western Conference. Ingram is headed towards unrestricted free agency this summer. Whether or not his contract demands are met this summer will be a big point of discussion. At this point, it seems he’s restricted his already shallow market.

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