NBA Scouts Suggest $158 Million Star Could Be Traded to Lakers

New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram will soon have to decide his future. The former All-Star forward recently switched agencies from Excel Sports Management to Klutch Sports this season. Ingram is in the final year of his contract and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

New Orleans and Ingram could not agree on an extension. The former No. 2 overall pick reportedly sought a maximum contract worth about $50 million per season. Meanwhile, the Pelicans wanted to offer something closer to his current salary, $36 million per. New Orleans reached out to teams to gauge interest in him, but there was little during the summer.

With the Pelicans off to a 5-18 start, New Orleans could move Ingram before the deadline or fear he walks for nothing in free agency next summer. NBA Insider Jake Fischer thinks Ingram's former team might be in play to acquire him before the deadline.

“Ingram's first NBA franchise is indeed whispered often by scouts as a potential destination for the next Ingram trade, but I haven't been given any indication that the Lakers are looking to pursue him now," Fischer writes. "All credible signals circulating about the Lakers suggest that L.A. is looking to fortify its frontcourt and add perimeter defense to assist LeBron James and Anthony Davis.”

NBA scouts believe the Lakers could emerge as a potential trade destination for Brandon Ingram, per @JakeLFischer

“Ingram's first NBA franchise is indeed whispered often by scouts as a potential destination for the next Ingram trade, but I haven't been give any indication that… pic.twitter.com/TBnbsLCnu7
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 6, 2024

The Lakers drafted Ingram in 2016, and the former Duke standout spent three seasons in Los Angeles before being traded to New Orleans as part of the Anthony Davis deal. Since joining the Pelicans in 2019, Ingram has appeared in two playoff series and won the Most Improved Player Award in 2019.

A calf injury hampered him in the early part of this season, and he missed six games because of it. He leads the Pelicans in scoring and three-point makes this year. Klutch Sports is led by Rich Paul, a close friend of LeBron James who also represents Anthony Davis and facilitated his trade from New Orleans.

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