Pelicans, Bulls Swap Brandon Ingram, Zach LaVine in Bold Trade Idea

Could the New Orleans Pelicans and Chicago Bulls pull off a massive blockbuster trade?

Mar 10, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) dribbles guarded by Atlanta Hawks forward Saddiq Bey (41) during the first half at State Farm Arena. / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Coming into the NBA offseason, it was widely expected that the New Orleans Pelicans would end up trading star forward Brandon Ingram. That has not happened yet, and new reports suggest that it might not happen.

Recent reports that have come out are saying that Ingram and the Pelicans have optimism about a potential contract extension.

Despite those reports, there are still reasons to believe that if the right trade came up, New Orleans would move Ingram. That deal just hasn't materialized yet.

One potential trade partner could be the Chicago Bulls.

Bleacher Report has suggested a wild blockbuster three-team trade between the Pelicans, Bulls, and Golden State Warriors.

Here is what the trade would look like:

Chicago Bulls Receive: G/F Brandon Ingram, F Andrew Wiggins

Golden State Warriors Receive: G/F Zach LaVine

New Orleans Pelicans Receive: C Nikola Vučević, G Gary Payton II, C Kevon Looney, 2025 first-round pick (lottery-protected via Portland Trail Blazers), 2028 and 2029 second-round picks (via Chicago Bulls)

This would be a dream scenario for New Orleans. Being able to turn Ingram into that kind of haul would be a perfect resolution for the Pelicans.

Nikola Vucevic would be exactly the kind of center that New Orleans needs. Adding both Payton and Looney would give the Pelicans valuable depth. Throwing in a first-round pick and two second-round picks would be icing on the cake.

While this trade is extremely unlikely and closer to impossible to happen, it's fun to think about.

A lineup of Dejounte Murray, C.J. McCollum, Herbert Jones, Zion Williamson, and Vucevic would be lethal. New Orleans would be a serious contender to watch in the Western Conference.

Again, it's a trade that would be nearly impossible to get done. All three teams would have to love the deal enough to pull the trigger. However, the Pelicans would make this kind of trade in an instant.

More than likely, New Orleans will end up keeping Ingram. At the very least, he'll get a long-term extension and get traded at the deadline or next offseason if the Pelicans truly don't want to keep him.

It will be interesting to see what the outcome of the situation between New Orleans and Ingram ends up being. He could fit in nicely with the current roster, but a trade is still possible. Only time will tell what the future holds for the team and player.