Pelicans Forward Ranked Amongst Best No.2 Scoring Options, But For How Much Longer?

Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson are teammates for now, but will the Pelicans duo last together the whole season?

Mar 19, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) warms up prior to the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Every Batman needs a good Robin, a trusted sidekick they can rely on when things get tough. Yahoo Sports recently ranked their top No. 1 options in the league, and New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson ranked No. 16 on their list. Now, NBA writer Ben Rohrbach lists the league's best No. 2 options.

Brandon Ingram appears at No. 15, right before Los Angeles Clippers star James Harden. The former No. 2 overall pick in 2016 had one of the healthiest seasons of his career. The 64 regular season games he appeared in were the most since his rookie year in the league. Ingram averaged 20.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.5 assists last year but struggled mightily in the playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The former Duke star hyperextended his knee late in the season and seemed limited after returning from injury. Ingram's numbers in the playoffs dropped to 14.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists on 34% shooting from the field in a four-game sweep to the Thunder. New Orleans played that series without the aide of Zion Williamson, who injured his hamstring right before the playoffs and missed the postseason.

Williamson and Ingram have played together for five seasons in New Orleans but have yet to play in the playoffs together. Lingering questions persist about whether these two are a good fit since both players usually operate from the elbow down, and neither attempts many three-point shots.

The duo may enter this season playing their final year together. Ingram and his camp requested a max contract extension from the Pelicans this offseason, seeking an annual contract between $45 and $50 million. New Orleans contacted a couple of teams regarding his availability via trade, but those talks never took off. His market has dried for a player with a history of injuries and only made one All-Star team in his career.

Social media started speculating that the lack of a contract extension disgruntled Ingram after he went on Instagram and posted a video of a motivational speaker talking about a person knowing their worth. Many thought this was a dig at the Pelicans. The team then held a voluntary workout in California that every player was expected to attend except for Daniel Theis, who played in the Summer Olympics for the German National Team. Ingram did not participate in those workouts.

With the season approaching and no deal in place, the Pelicans are expected to continue shopping the former All-Star forward and eventually trade him before the deadline near the All-Star break. New Orleans hosts their annual Media Day on September 30, where Ingram will make his first public comments about his contract situation and future in New Orleans.