Star Forward Would Be Lucky to Have New Orleans Pelicans Trade Him to Contender

Would Brandon Ingram be a good fit on an Eastern Conference contender?

Mar 4, 2021; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) is defended by Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) in the fourth quarter at the Smoothie King Center. / Chuck Cook-Imagn Images

With training camp and the preseason almost here for the New Orleans Pelicans, there is a lot of excitement about the upcoming season. 

The Pelicans will be heading into the 2024-25 season with arguably the most talented roster that they have had in a long time. This offseason, New Orleans pulled off a big trade to acquire Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks to bolster the roster. 

Murray was one of the most sought-after players in trades this offseason, as he is an excellent player at both ends of the court. The talented guard will be paired with All-Star caliber players in Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson. 

This duo hasn’t had the success that they would have liked so far together, and the hope is that Murray can be one of the final pieces of the puzzle. While the trade for the young guard was a big deal for the Pelicans, they have had plenty of rumors surrounding Ingram. 

Due to Ingram being eligible for a max contract, there was a lot of speculation about whether New Orleans would want to pay him that much money long-term. The talented wing has been a very good player, but a max contract might be too steep for the Pelicans. 

Since New Orleans hasn’t committed to signing Ingram yet, trading him certainly remains a possibility. Recently, Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report spoke about the Miami Heat being the best possible landing spot for the forward. 

“If the Heat lose Butler, the wisest path forward might be a slower build focused on Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr. That team already has a pretty intriguing core beyond its superstar. On the other hand, there may be value in taking some pressure off those three, and Brandon Ingram's mid-range game and playmaking skills could make him sort of a Butler facsimile.”

Considering that it seems possible that Jimmy Butler could leave the Heat, a potential deal to bring in Ingram for him would make a lot of sense. While Butler is an All-NBA level player at times, Ingram’s style of game does mimic his a bit. 

While the Pelicans forward isn’t the same caliber of player as Butler, he could be a good young replacement that could continue to grow with the rest of Miami’s young core. 

As the season progresses for the Pelicans, it will be interesting to see what they decide to do with their young star. If the team struggles, Ingram could certainly become a highly-sought after trade target.