Brandon Ingram went from a starting-caliber wingman for the Los Angeles Lakers to an All-Star for the New Orleans Pelicans. However, we may not see him wearing the Pelican red for too long.
According to Evan Sidery, the Pelicans front office won’t sign the former Duke Blue Devil to an extension. In addition, they are reportedly looking at Trey Murphy III as their long-term option at the wing.
“The Pelicans are not expected to offer Brandon Ingram a contract extension this offseason.
Ingram is eligible to sign a four-year, $208 million deal, but New Orleans will be going in another direction.
Trey Murphy III is also eligible for a rookie-scale extension expected to pay him $20-25 million annually.
All signs point towards New Orleans prioritizing Murphy over Ingram as their wing of the future.
New Orleans will have Ingram’s $36 million salary and valuable draft capital to attempt to pair another star alongside Zion Williamson.“
Evan Sidery on the New Orleans-Brandon Ingram situation
It’s too early to speculate at this point. Ingram made it clear he loves the city and his role within the team. The Pelicans still owe the one-time NBA All-Star $36 million for the 2024-25 season. That means Ingram can stay for a year and prove his worth to the New Orleans brass.
However, if the Pels front office is dead-set to move on, they can dump Ingram’s salary to a team that wants cap space in 2025. Notable free agents like Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brunson may opt out of their contracts that year.
In addition, Sidery noted that the Pelicans are ready to commit money to Murphy III. According to Pelican Debrief’s Matt Alquiza, similar players such as Herb Jones, Donte DiVincenzo, Max Strus, and Deni Avdija all signed four-year contracts that pay $13 million to $16 million annually. The next order of business for New Orleans is how much they should pay Murphy III.
Is the team correct in supposedly choosing Murphy over Ingram? And if he’s gone in 2025 or traded in the summer of 2024, which team does Ingram fit the best?
