Brandon Ingram Has Finally Been Traded And Will Join The Raptors
Getty Image Ingram is headed to Toronto as the Pelicans finally found a deal for him after more than a year of shopping him around.
With Jimmy Butler, De’Aaron Fox, and Zach LaVine all getting traded early on deadline week, as Thursday approached, one of the last remaining known stars looking for a trade was Brandon Ingram. The former All-Star wing hasn’t played since December 7 due to an ankle injury, but has been on the trade block for more than a year as he is seeking a long-term extension at or near max money, which the Pelicans have not been willing to give him.
Entering Wednesday, there were two teams creating buzz with talks on Ingram, as the Toronto Raptors and Atlanta Hawks had both discussed deals with the Pelicans. Late Wednesday night, Chris Haynes reported the Raptors were in “advanced discussions” on an Ingram trade, with Bruce Brown assuredly part of the deal as a large expiring contract. Just before midnight, Shams Charania broke the news of the full trade having been agreed upon, with Brown and Kelly Olynyk going to New Orleans along with draft compensation (with the pick details coming from Jake Fischer).
Raptors get: Brandon Ingram
Pelicans get: Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, 2026 first round pick via IND, and a second round pick
Unlike what LaVine did in Chicago, Ingram was not able to boost his trade value with a strong first half of the season, but the Pelicans still managed to get some draft assets and didn’t have to take on any long-term money in return. Opting for expiring deals allowed them to get some picks and will give them a chance to reset some this summer as they figure to do some serious evaluation of who is going to be part of their foundation going forward. They also will probably explore options to move Brown and Olynyk in separate moves (or adding other teams to this deal) to try and add more assets.
For the Raptors, they add a scoring wing alongside Scottie Barnes and make it clear that they do not plan on going through a full-scale rebuild in Toronto. Ingram is eligible to be extended immediately for up to three years and 120% of his current salary (just over $36 million), and if the Raptors are giving up real draft assets in the deal, one figures they plan on signing him to a new deal.
