Lakers Not in On Brandon Ingram Trade Talks with New Orleans Pelicans

It sounds like the Los Angeles Lakers can be counted out when it comes to a trade for New Orleans Pelicans star Brandon Ingram.

Mar 8, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) warms up before the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. / Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

All offseason long, the New Orleans Pelicans have been mentioned in trade rumors surrounding star forward Brandon Ingram. However, nothing has come from those rumors yet.

While the offseason has slowed down, there is still a good chance that Ingram could be moved. The Pelicans seem ready to move on from him and vice versa.

One team that has been rumored as a potential trade partner is the Los Angeles Lakers. At this point in time, they can be counted out.

Jovan Buha of The Athletic has reported that the Lakers haven't reached out to New Orleans about a trade for Ingram.

“Right now, a blockbuster deal, I just don’t see it. I don’t see the Lakers having enough for Lauri Markkanen. I’ve not heard of any interest with Brandon Ingram. So I don’t see them going for those two guys.”

Marc Stein, a respected NBA insider, has also revealed what Ingram's camp is looking for in a potential trade partner.

“Ingram, with one All-Star appearance on his resume like Markkanen, has only one season left on his current contract and is said to be seeking a four-year contract extension worth nearly $210 million. The Pelicans have made it clear that they won’t go to those lengths to re-sign him and, while various teams have explored Ingram trades since the offseason began in earnest, no other team willing to sign the 26-year-old at those numbers has yet emerged … with league sources saying that Ingram’s camp has also joined the efforts to find one.”

Ingram has been an elite NBA scorer throughout his career and is coming off of another big year during the 2023-24 season.

He played in 64 games last season, averaging 20.8 points per game to go along with 5.7 assists and 5.1 rebounds. In addition to those numbers, he shot 49.2 percent from the floor and 35.5 percent from three-point range.

It will be interesting to see what ends up happening with his situation. Will he end up being traded or will he be back for one more year with the Pelicans?

While there are still other potential trade partners, it sounds like Los Angeles can be counted out of the mix. He would have been an excellent fit for the Lakers, but the interest isn't there.