The New Orleans Pelicans had a -3 net rating during the regular season when Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, and Brandon Ingram played together. In the playoffs, the net rating was even worse at -35 as the Pelicans were swept out by the Thunder. There is a growing belief among NBA insiders that Brandon Ingram will be traded before next season. Possible interested teams include Philadelphia, Cleveland, Atlanta, and Orlando.
Brandon Ingram is a high-level isolation scorer who averaged 20.8 points, 5.7 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game this season. Despite his individual success, there has never been a natural chemistry between him, Zion Williamson, and CJ McCollum. The Pelicans are committed to Zion long-term and have no intention of parting ways with McCollum, leaving Ingram potentially on the chopping block.
New Orleans has the option to extend Ingram this season at around $200 million but reports indicate they are not interested in that route. While officially they claim to be “open” to extending him at a different number that suits the team, it is likely that if an agreement cannot be reached, they will explore trade options. One potential trade scenario could involve Cleveland and Jarrett Allen if they decide to move on from their two-bigs lineup.
Anticipate significant changes to the Pelicans’ roster this summer as they look to maintain core players like Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum
