NBA Scouts Believe Lakers Could Emerge as Trade Landing Spot For All-Star Wing

Should Los Angeles take a major trade leap?

Feb 25, 2021; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) drives to the basket against Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (22) in the first quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

This year, All-Star New Orleans Pelicans small forward Brandon Ingram is averaging a solid 23.2 points on .468/.372/.849 shooting splits, 5.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks across 17 healthy contests, having recently returned from a right plantaris tendonitis injury that cost him five games. It has become clear that Ingram, not his starrier New Orleans teammate Zion Williamson, is the most consistent scorer on the team. That is in part due to his availability, as Williamson's fitness seems to have impacted his health over the years.

So why is Ingram constantly in trade rumors?

Probably because New Orleans is currently the Western Conference's No. 14 seed with a paltry 5-18 record, and seems doomed to miss the postseason after notching a 49-33 record in 2023-24. And because Ingrams, not Williamson, is by far the more appealing trade asset.

So might he return to the Los Angeles Lakers, who offloaded him as part of the blockbuster deal to land Anthony Davis in the summer of 2019?

Jake Fischer of Marc Stein's The Stein Line writes on Substack that a surprise reunion with the team that drafted him could be in the cards for Ingram.

“Ingram's first NBA franchise is indeed whispered often by scouts as a potential destination for the next Ingram trade, but I haven't been give any indication that the Lakers are looking to pursue him now," Fischer writes. "All credible signals circulating about the Lakers suggest that L.A. is looking to fortify its frontcourt and add perimeter defense to assist LeBron James and Anthony Davis.”

This is not the first time Los Angeles has been floated as a potential trade destination for Ingram. Ingram's trade value has depreciated because he's on an expiring contract, meaning that he could essentially be a one-year rental before hitting unrestricted free agency this coming summer.

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"Another read: Maybe the Pelicans have no reason to sell at this point," Fischer submits. "Even with last night's win over the Suns, New Orleans stands seven games out of the Play-In Tournament picture, let alone the playoffs. The Pels can keep adding healthy guys back into the fold, fight like hell and could still wind up in the standings' Tank Zone and its tantalizing lure of lottery luck. I likewise don’t expect there to be any change on the Pelicans' bench any time soon, either, even as many around the league openly wonder about the status of head coach Willie Green."

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