Teammate Drops Honest Take on Pelicans' Brandon Ingram Rumors

New Orleans Pelicans star Brandon Ingram has been all over the NBA rumor mill this offseason.

Apr 14, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) brings the ball up court against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Smoothie King Center. / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

The rumors surrounding New Orleans Pelicans star are beginning to heat up again. Not only are the Pelicans looking for a potential trade suitor for star forward Brandon Ingram, his camp has also joined the process and is out looking around the league trying to find a good landing spot.

Coming into the NBA offseason, Ingram was widely expected to be traded. However, teams have not been aggressively trying to acquire him yet.

Very few teams around the league are looking to sink so much money into a new contract for Ingram. But, that could change in the near future with most of the good players available already brought in by teams.

Amid all of the rumors surrounding Ingram, his teammate with the Pelicans, Trey Murphy, has spoken out about the rumors and possibility that Ingram won't be back.

"It’s tough, and it’s also a part of the business. Brandon’s been unbelievable when it comes to being a role model, seeing how he works on a daily basis. He’s always been there for me and coached me up. He does all the little things. I work out with him and spend time with him off the court. It’s tough to potentially lose a brother like that, but it’s part of the business, and sometimes it might be what’s best for him. You never know what it is, but you’ve always got to make sure that he looks out for his best interests at the end of the day because that’s how it is."

It's actually very surprising that the trade market has moved so slow when it comes to Ingram. He's a legitiamte star and an elite scorer.

During the 2023-24 NBA season, Ingram ended up averaging 20.8 points per game to go along with 5.7 assists and 5.1 rebounds. He shot 49.2 percent from the floor and knocked down 35.5 percent of his three-point attempts.

Add in the fact that he's just 26 years old and he's a true franchise-altering trade target.

Looking around the NBA, there are just a couple of teams that could make sense for Ingram. Both the Portland Trail Blazers and Cleveland Cavaliers could make sense. There are other teams that could move some things around to get involved.

While it may be tough to see Ingram go, New Orleans will be just fine regardless of the outcome. They have put together a stacked roster with or without him.

Expect to continue hearing rumors surrounding Ingram in the coming weeks. Both the team and player seem to want to part ways, which makes this one of the top situations to watch in the NBA moving forward.