National Basketball Association

Best landing spots for New Orleans Pelicans All-Star Brandon Ingram

Updated Jan. 11, 2025 11:45 a.m. ET

Brandon Ingram's days with the New Orleans Pelicans appeared to be numbered. It's just a matter of whether that day comes before the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline or in free agency.

The 27-year-old is in the final season of a five-year, $158 million deal, and it appears unlikely that he will sign an extension with the Pelicans. A one-time All-Star (2019-20), Ingram has been limited to 18 games this season due to calf and ankle injuries. What's more, he hasn't played more than 64 games in a single season over his six years in New Orleans due to various injuries (knee and Achilles flare-ups being among the other issues).

On the other hand, Ingram is a proven scorer in his prime. Averaging 23.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game and shooting 37.2% from behind the arc over the past six seasons, Ingram is a well-rounded scorer who can score off the dribble, absorb contact and shoot with efficiency.

Here are the three best trade destinations for Ingram should New Orleans, which owns the worst record in the Western Conference at 8-31, seek a return for him before the trade deadline.

3. Chicago Bulls

The Bulls are in no man's land. They're competitive enough to be in the Play-In Tournament mix and not bad enough to have a top seed in the 2025 NBA Draft lottery. The one consistent trait that Chicago has shown through its actions (retaining Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic and Coby White and trading Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey) is that it intends to compete for the playoffs. With that in mind, Ingram presents an opportunity for the Bulls to potentially shake up their offense for the better.

LaVine is the driving force of Chicago's offense; Vucevic is one of the best scoring centers in the game; White has blossomed into a plausible shooter and scorer; Josh Giddey can facilitate and run the fast break. But realignment is needed for the Bulls (18-20) to be more than a mere Play-In Tournament team, which is what they've been in each of the past two full seasons.

Ingram gives the Bulls a second proven go-to scorer who can score in a variety of ways, with LaVine being the other. LaVine, Ingram and White would be an electric scoring trio for the Bulls to lean on and stop them from having to rely so much on LaVine to play hero. Ingram makes their starting five quicker and would indicate an aim towards contending.

Chicago could send Vucevic, Ayo Dosunmu and Jevon Carter to New Orleans for Ingram and a second-rounder. The Pelicans get their new starting center, who's under contract through next season, and a budding wing in Dosunmu, while the Bulls tweak their starting five with a new piece to the puzzle in Ingram. Jalen Smith would subsequently become Chicago's new starting center.

At the same time, Chicago could view a midseason move for a player of Ingram's ilk as one that would only do so much for their chances of making noise in the Eastern Conference playoffs, with them still being 29th in points surrendered (120.8 per game).

2. Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers haven't dazzled under first-year head coach JJ Redick, but they're still a respectable 20-16 and fighting to avoid the Play-In Tournament. Anthony Davis is playing as well as ever; the 40-year-old LeBron James is still playing at an All-Star-caliber level; Austin Reaves is averaging a career-high 18.3 points per game. But if the Lakers are going to get past the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, they need some oomph. Enter Ingram, who gives the Lakers another player who can carry a substantial scoring load.

A starting five that includes Davis, James, Ingram and Reaves gives the Lakers four players who can slow the game down and create offense on their own. Furthermore, the first three players would form as formidable a frontcourt scoring trio as any in the NBA, while making it difficult for defenses to hone in on Davis or James.

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Los Angeles could send Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent to New Orleans for Ingram and a second-rounder. The Lakers set themselves up for a life post-James — should retirement be on the table next offseason — while adding another vibrant scorer to the mix. They also keep effective young players, such as rookie Dalton Knecht and Max Christie, out of this trade.

Meanwhile, Hachimura and Vanderbilt, when healthy, would play immediate roles for the Pelicans, who could attempt to reroute Vincent. That said, the Lakers potentially not wanting to commit more long-term payroll with James' career termination date up in the air — should they re-sign Ingram — could stop an Ingram trade from taking place.

1. San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs have made a jump this season, and Ingram can help them sustain that jump and take another step in the near future. Victor Wembanyama is on the verge of being a superstar, if he isn't one already; Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell are proven wing scorers; rookie Stephon Castle and Julian Champagnie are having their moments.

Wembanyama does it all offensively and can, without question, be a contending team's No. 1 scorer, but the Spurs (18-19) as a whole heavily rely on the 3-ball (40.1 attempts per game, which was sixth in the NBA entering Friday). Ingram gives them a player who, while certainly capable and effective at shooting from distance, is more of an attacking scorer.

With Ingram attacking the rack and attracting attention in the paint, San Antonio has the wing shooters to make teams pay for letting Ingram get a step on them with him finding the open man — or finishing at the rim. He brings a different skill set to the table and a track record of being a go-to scorer. Ingram's timeline matches up with San Antonio's, as he'd be a 27-year-old veteran and No. 2 scorer for an emerging nucleus.

San Antonio could send Harrison Barnes, Zach Collins, its 2026 first-rounder and a pair of second-rounders to New Orleans for Ingram. The Pelicans get future draft capital and could look to reroute Barnes and Collins for more draft capital, while the Spurs get a player who ascends their future.

In acquiring Ingram, the Spurs would move on from two players who likely aren't long-term pieces to the puzzle (Barnes and Collins), get to see how Ingram fits in head coach Gregg Popovich's system and would have the inside track on re-signing him in the summer. With continued progression from Wembanyama, Champagnie, Castle and Jeremy Sochan, Ingram could be the veteran complement that makes the Spurs a Western Conference contender within the next two seasons.

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