NBA
Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram wants to join a contender in free agency next year
Joe Lyons is a sports writer and has also been published by Nottingham Forest FC, working with the academy and senior teams to produce content on matchdays. He formerly covered the Premier League and EFL as an on-site reporter during the 2020/21 season for Prost International. He is an expert in a range of sports including soccer, basketball, darts and American football. Joe specialises in long form SEO content alongside news, tips and betting. His sports betting work can be found on SportsLens and The Sports Daily. Joe has a keen eye for the sports betting industry in the USA which covers the NBA and NFL, tracking and analysing the market as it changes throughout the season.
All posts by Joe LyonsUpdated6 hours ago on December 04, 2024
New Orleans Pelicans star Brandon Ingram reportedly wants to join a contending team when he hits free agency next year.
Brandon Ingram eyeing a move to a contender in free agency
Ingram, a one-time All-Star and winner of the NBA’s Most Improved Player award in 2020, looks set for a new challenge when his five-year, $158 million contract expires next summer.
The 27-year-old is widely regarded as one of the most gifted and versatile scorers in the league, but staying healthy and on the court has been one of his biggest challenges.
That hasn’t been the case this season however, as Ingram has appeared in 16 of New Orleans‘ 22 games – the most of any among the team’s star players which include Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray and CJ McCollum.
Ingram is averaging a solid 22.9 points a night alongside 5.8 boards and 5.4 assists – and he made his first move last week when announcing he is signing with Rich Paul’s Klutch Sports Group.
Rumours of a return to the team that drafted him, the Los Angeles Lakers will obviously continue to circulate – but in June, Pelicans executive vice president David Griffin told fans the player wanted to remain in New Orleans.
He also admitted that it may not be possible financially and the former second overall pick failed to come to terms with the Pelicans on a contract extension or a trade during the recent offseason.
“I’m told Brandon Ingram wants to be part of a winning competitive environment.”
– @ShamsCharania 👀
(Via @ESPNNBA )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 3, 2024
Could Ingram follow in the path of Anthony Davis to LA?
This situation looks awfully reminiscent of Anthony Davis’ final year in New Orleans, where he also signed with Klutch and forced a trade to the Lakers.
It’s unlikely that the Pelicans would be happy with letting one of their star players depart without a return, so there’s every chance Ingram could be moved by the trade deadline to try and recoup some assets.
Ingram knows the Los Angeles area well having spent the first three years of his career with the Lakers and the fans would love to see the return of one of their very own.
