New Suitor Possibly Emerging for New Orleans Pelicans' Brandon Ingram

Trade talks around New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram have quieted, but a new suitor could be emerging soon.

Jan 23, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) runs into Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) during the first quarter at Smoothie King Center. / Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports

In the dog days of the NBA offseason after the excitement of free agency and Summer League, New Orleans Pelicans rumors centered around Brandon Ingram are the biggest storyline to follow. However, the trade market has reportedly hit an impasse.

The market for Ingram has reportedly quieted down as we prepare to flip the calendar to August. This isn’t all too surprising, as plenty of teams around the league have exhausted all of their resources on other moves.

However, a new suitor could be emerging in the dormant Ingram sweepstakes. The date to keep an eye on for the Pelicans is August 6th, as that is when teams can negotiate extensions with their players.

A long-term deal for Ingram seems unlikely, but New Orleans will be keeping an eye on how other teams operate. One team that is of interest to them is the Utah Jazz.

The Jazz have an extension-eligible player of its own in Lauri Markkanen. Markkanen has been the subject of trade rumors himself this summer, which makes his extension talks with Utah so important.

If he signs a new contract, he can no longer be traded this offseason. It could also signal a change in the direction the franchise is going. If they want to commit to Markkanen and build around him, acquiring Ingram in a trade becomes a possibility.

“Another thing I’ve heard is that assuming Lauri gets extended in Utah, I think it is possible the Jazz are one of the teams maybe interested in Brandon Ingram here,” Nola.com’s Christian Clark said on the From the Wing podcast. “If they sign Lauri back up again they could just try to go the other way, and try to be more competitive in the west. And one of the ways they could do that is go out and try to get Brandon.” (H/T GulfLive)

Markkanen remaining with the Jazz is something several NBA insiders and analysts believe could occur. During an appearance on the Lowe Post with Zach Lowe podcast, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon noted the market for Markkanen has presented Utah with underwhelming offers.

Zach Lowe also made mention of the Jazz possibly entertaining the idea of acquiring Ingram. In Clark’s opinion, the Pelicans are going to make a push to trade their young forward again before the 2024-25 season.

“And I think this is relevant to the Pelicans because I think they’re gonna make one more real attempt at moving Brandon Ingram before the start of next season.

It’s very possible he is a Pelican next season and they just kind of roll with this funky roster they’ve got and maybe they try to sort it out mid-season. But I do think post-Lauri decision, there is going to be an attempt from the Pelicans to at least look at the Ingram trade market one more time. 

They know this roster doesn’t make that much sense, they know this isn’t ideal.

“I just think we’re gonna see generally the Ingram market pick back up after early August,” Clark said.

Matching up for a trade is feasible between the two sides. In search of a center, New Orleans could ask for Walker Kessler in return as part of the package. John Collins would almost certainly have to be included to make the money work.

Collins could fill a hybrid frontcourt role for the Pelicans, similar to what Larry Nance Jr. did but with more offensive punch. Kessler would solve a lot of their issues in the middle with Nance and Jonas Valanciunas no longer on the team.

But, it is fair to question whether the Jazz would truly be interested in such a deal. Acquiring Ingram, who is seeking a long-term extension, on top of what Markkanen will earn will cap Utah’s flexibility moving forward.

That isn’t a championship tandem, which would leave the Jazz in the dreaded middle ground of the NBA and likely out of the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes in the 2025 NBA Draft.