Western Conference Team Pitched As Suitor for New Orleans Pelicans Star

Could the perfect Brandon Ingram trade partner for the New Orleans Pelicans be a Western Conference foe?

Nov 27, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) shoots the ball over Utah Jazz forward Simone Fontecchio (16) during the final seconds of the game at Delta Center. / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

One way or another, the New Orleans Pelicans have to figure out a way to bring an end to the Brandon Ingram drama.

The All-Star forward has been mentioned in trade rumors for months, but nothing has developed beyond that. There is a lot of smoke but no fire, as his market is reportedly not very strong.

Viewed in the same vane as Chicago Bulls former All-Star Zach LaVine, finding a taker for Ingram has not been easy.

Teams don’t view him as enough of a needle mover to satisfy what the Pelicans would be looking for in return. And the teams he would help don’t want to win too many games and be taken out of the 2025 NBA Lottery chase.

That has left New Orleans in a tough spot, as there isn’t a clear-cut fit for him on their roster either.

As currently constructed, there is a huge logjam on the wing. Ingram isn’t coming off the bench as long as he is on the roster, which means at least one, if not two, of CJ McCollum, Herbert Jones and Trey Murphy will not be a starter.

Willie Green is going to have his hands full trying to navigate things from a role and minutes perspective. Unless a move is made, there are going to be players unhappy with their roles entering the season.

With a month until things tip-off, the Pelicans are running out of time to get a deal done.

But, there is one team that could emerge as a suitor for Ingram; the Utah Jazz.

Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report recently put together a realistic dream trade target for every team in the NBA. For the Jazz, he mentioned Ingram as an option.

“In the meantime, can Utah get Brandon Ingram from the New Orleans Pelicans at a relatively low price? The Jazz would need to pre-negotiate a long-term deal with Ingram, who is in the final year of his contract. Few teams will have cap space in 2025, giving Utah a real chance to pair Lauri Markkanen with a second All-Star,” he wrote.

Utah is certainly a team to keep a close eye on.

They looked to be embarking on a complete teardown two years ago when they traded Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, acquiring a boatload of future assets.

Alas, the Jazz never bottomed out as Lauri Markkanen turned into an All-Star and they received strong contributions from Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson as well.

Danny Ainge has the assets to make multiple big moves. Acquiring Ingram for below-market value would provide the team with some flexibility moving forward.

At this point, New Orleans may not be able to get as much as they want in a return package for the Duke product, but this could very well be an addition by subtraction move if they can bring back frontcourt help, save some money, and clear the runway for a Murphy breakout.