Which New Orleans Pelicans Player Has Most To Prove in 2024–25 Season?

One New Orleans Pelicans player stands out with something to prove this upcoming season.

Apr 21, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) reacts to an offensive foul call against him on a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the fourth quarter of game one of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The biggest storyline surrounding the New Orleans Pelicans entering the 2024-25 NBA season is the future of forward Brandon Ingram.

The last remaining piece of the Anthony Davis blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Lakers, Ingram’s days with the franchise could be numbered. 

Trade rumors centered around him popped up all offseason. It isn’t that Ingram isn’t a good player; he just doesn’t look to the team’s construction or game plan any longer.

Entering the final season of his contract, he is seeking a lucrative extension. The Pelicans haven’t been able to find common ground on a number that both sides like.

That is part of the reason why Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report believes that the No. 2 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft has the most to prove of any Pelicans player this upcoming season.

“Ingram views himself as a max player. The Pelicans do not. The burden falls on Ingram to challenge that perception and convince someone—be that New Orleans or anyone else—he is that type of star,” wrote Buckley.

All signs are pointing toward the former All-Star remaining with the Pelicans once the regular season rolls around. The relationship between the two sides seems rocky, at best, after Ingram opted not to participate in a voluntary mini camp at the end of August, an event he has previously helped set up.

One of the reasons it is so difficult to pinpoint his value is his inability to stay healthy. His rookie season is the only time in his professional career he has reached 65 games played.

"There is a financial reality to this," Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin said. "And where I think we can go in terms of keeping this group together, might not be as far as he and his agency would like us to be able to go. So for now, we're going to play it out."

In addition to Ingram's contract talks, the team has to figure out a long-term deal with Trey Murphy. Paying both of them seems unlikely, as this season could be used as a way to figure out which to commit to long-term.

Out of the two, Murphy seems to be the player the franchise wants to commit to. That means the former Duke product could be auditioning as much for teams around the league as he is for a long-term deal in New Orleans.