New Orleans Pelicans Could be Trade Partners For Brooklyn Nets

Nic Claxton and his unrestricted free agency will be the Brooklyn Nets' tone-setter this offseason. Should they return his services, the team will have a good nucleus of Claxton, Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson. Those three are a great supporting cast to a star.

The problem? The Nets don't have a star. They could make a smart move to surround the Nets' current roster with a primary scorer, something the team could benefit from. Bridges had flashes of being a primary scorer, but he doesn't quite seem cut for it. Pairing him with a player leaving him as one of the primary scorers, though not having to shoulder as much of a load could make sense.

What star is cheap enough for the Nets to be able to obtain without having too much draft capital? It might be time for Sean Marks to buzz the New Orleans Pelicans' phone. They could try and make a move to acquire Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram.

For the Pelicans, moving on from Ingram might be inevitable, as reported by Marc Stein on Sunday. The team was swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the NBA playoffs. It's time for Zion Williamson to have the keys with an offense fully built around him, trusting he can stay healthy for the postseason.

"Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin has all but promised that New Orleans will be active in the marketplace in the wake of a first-round sweep inflicted by the Thunder and league sources say that Ingram's exit is increasingly viewed by various league observers as an inevitability rather than possibility," Stein reported.

Even without Williamson, Ingram hasn't been productive enough to lead the offense. Still, Brooklyn could be the right fit. He will have plenty of offensive help from Bridges and Johnson, two capable shooters. With a playmaking point guard, the Nets offense could find some rhythm.

It would be a unique fit, but one would have to assume Ingram -- who made the All-Star game in 2020 -- doesn't have a steep asking price in a trade. The Pelicans can move on from Ingram for a rather cheap price without seeing much of a falling out, thanks to Herb Jones. Cam Thomas and Dorian Finney-Smith are two role players who could provide an impact to the team. Throwing in a hint of draft capital, or something of value to the Pelicans could be enough.

Ingram doesn't make the Nets a championship-contending team, but for the right price, it makes sense to pursue the 26-year-old forward.

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