Brandon Ingram’s future with the New Orleans Pelicans is up in the air. Heading into the last season of his contract, his contractual demands can not only potentially end his tenure with the Pelicans, but could also turn away other teams interested in trading for him.
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NBA analysts Zach Lowe and Bobby Marks took to the ‘Lowe Post’ Podcast to discuss the current climate of Ingram’s situation with the Pelicans. Marks said,
“In different circumstances, [Brandon Ingram] probably is a max player. But what’s the market for him?“
Ingram has found himself in a form of NBA purgatory where there has been no concrete assessment of what his market value is. However, the All-Star forward may look to Jamal Murray’s recent contract extension as a point of reference.
“I think if you’re Brandon Ingram you’re looking at what Jamal Murray just got and you’re thinking wait a minute. 4 [year] for $208, that’s my number. Why am I not getting that number here?” Marks added.
Individually, Ingram has more accolades to his name than Murray. He was selected as an All-Star and won the Most Improved Player Award in the 2019-2020 season. Murray, on the other hand, has shown that he can be a championship-level guard in the 2023 NBA Finals.
However, the Pelicans have suffered from injuries and other issues since pairing Ingram alongside Zion Williamson. The two have never been able to flourish together on the big stage despite Ingram being the healthier of the two. Therefore, BI doesn’t have the postseason credentials that Murray has accumulated in the past few years.
Additionally, due to the lack of trade around Ingram, Lowe suggests that the Pelicans view a contract extension with Trey Murphy as a greater priority.
“It’s interesting, Trey Murphy III’s extension seems like a bigger priority than Brandon Ingram’s, which is strange.”
It seems like the Pelicans already have their answer if they aren’t able to capitalize on an Ingram deal. Murphy could slide into the starting forward position seamlessly and at a cheaper cost.
In terms of teams that may be willing to meet Ingram’s contractual demands, Marks mentioned the Nets as a potential suitor.
“We talked about Brooklyn. Would Brooklyn come in and give him $40-45 million a year? Based on their timeline here…”
The Nets are in a full rebuild. Tying a large sum of money into a player who isn’t a superstar is a huge risk. The Bulls are experiencing difficulties in offloading Zach Lavine following his massive contract extension.
Ingram is still young at just 27 years of age. It’s undeniable that his skillset is exceptional. However, his future may be uncertain if he isn’t willing to adjust to this market evaluation.
