Pistons Insider Predicts Chances of Trade for $158M NBA All-Star

Could the Pistons be in the market for Brandon Ingram?

Oct 2, 2023; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon speaks during Media Day at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Heading into the 2024-2025 NBA season, the Detroit Pistons made it known that the upcoming campaign was not a playoffs-or-bust scenario. With a young core and new pieces in the building, Trajan Langdon’s front office understands that patience is needed amid a rebuild.

Then again, there’s no need to avoid expediting a process if expectations are beyond met. The Pistons are still going through growing pains, but they’ve already been so much better than they were just a season ago.

Could the Pistons decide to shake things up and add a star like New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram ahead of the 2024 NBA trade deadline? Well, there’s a chance—but Pistons insider Keith Langlois cautions that scenario should be “filed” under “long shot.”

“[Trajan Langdon] clearly isn’t looking to take big swings at this point, before he has a clearer idea of what the next step should be, and limit what he could be in position to do next summer and beyond,” Langlois wrote recently.

Brandon Ingram put on a show as the Pelicans take down the Nuggets. 😏 pic.twitter.com/hg3tWryUKq

— theScore (@theScore) November 16, 2024

“Now, all of that said, it’s entirely possible that a move that makes sense both now and for the future comes available to him and he decides to act sooner than he might have anticipated. Coming from New Orleans, he has more intimate knowledge of Ingram than any of the 28 other non-Pelicans front offices,” the insider added.

Ingram has been pegged as a potential trade candidate out of New Orleans for several seasons at this point. Considering he’s slated to become a free agent next summer, now is typically the time for teams to move on from players they don’t plan to extend in order to avoid losing them for nothing.

This season, Ingram is making $36 million. Considering he continued to have big moments as a max-contracted veteran on the Pelicans, he’s sure to earn another healthy payday in the offseason. There is a scenario where the Pistons could lock him in long-term while acquiring him, but that would eliminate major plans for free agency, where the Pistons could potentially have their eyes on another notable candidate. Plus, it’s unclear what sort of situation Ingram is searching for.

The Pelicans are talented, but health has prevented them from reaching anywhere near their potential. The Pistons are better, but their status as playoff contenders in the Eastern Conference is still a question mark.

Since joining the Pelicans, Ingram has averaged 23 points on 37 percent shooting from the field. He’s also good for six rebounds and five assists per night. There’s no doubt he can be impactful in any situation, but the Pistons would have to be sold on him being a player who truly moves the needle playing alongside Cade Cunningham.

Ultimately, that question can only be answered by Langdon, but one could assume there isn’t a very high chance the 6-7 Pistons will be players for Ingram.