A Key Update on Potential Sixers Trade Target’s Contract Situation

The New Orleans Pelicans could extend Brandon Ingram -- but there is an important update on those discussions.

Mar 8, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) / Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

Could the 2024 offseason be the start of the end of the relationship between the New Orleans Pelicans and Brandon Ingram? If the veteran forward doesn’t land the extension he desires, then many teams, including the Philadelphia 76ers, could look to scoop him up via the trade market.

The Pelicans’ first-round exit in the 2024 NBA Playoffs proved they could use some notable changes in the near future. While Ingram is a part of their core, he’s not expected to be untouchable in trade talks at this time.

With one year left on his current contract, Ingram is eligible to sign a max extension, which would span four seasons and be worth over $200 million.

According to NOLA.com, the Pelicans are “open to adding more years” to Ingram’s deal with an extension. However, he’s not expected to land the full max amount. In the event an extension doesn’t get done at some point before the start of Ingram’s contract year, the Pelicans are likely to search for a trade.

Since the Sixers’ first-round loss against the New York Knicks, they have been linked to Ingram, as they are viewed as potential trade candidates for the 26-year-old forward.

Apr 9, 2021; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) drives on / Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

With the Sixers looking to revamp their roster, building a new supporting cast around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, they are in search of an All-Star caliber player who will help improve their odds of making a deep run for the title.

While Ingram is a popular name for the Sixers, he’s certainly a riskier play in the long term. With eight seasons of experience under his belt, Ingram has just two playoff runs on his resume. In ten postseason games, Ingram averaged 22 points, six rebounds, and five assists while shooting 43 percent from the field and 37 percent from deep. Not a bad sample, but a small one.

Since he arrived in New Orleans after a three-year run with the Los Angeles Lakers, Ingram has garnered a high usage rate with the Pelicans. Just last season, he placed in the 99th percentile for wings across the NBA with a 28.6 percent rate, according to Cleaning the Glass. That’s around his average for his time with the Pelicans, which poses an important question: Could Ingram be as productive if that number takes a dip?

The Sixers know very well what it’s like to pay a steep price for a third option. Unfortunately, the Tobias Harris experiment didn’t work out in their favor. Ingram could offer a new look, but it’s becoming clear that he’ll be searching for a high salary for years to come. Not only would his next team have to bank big with a high salary across several seasons, but it would take unloading assets to land him in the first place.

The 76ers would, at the very, least do their due diligence on Ingram if extension talks go south with the Pelicans. It’s unclear just how much interest is there for Philly, though.