New Orleans Pelicans have until Oct. 21 to extend Brandon Ingram

Entering the fourth and final season of his rookie contract, the New Orleans Pelicans’ new forward Brandon Ingram might have to wait until free agency for his extension.

With just under a month until the season tips off, most New Orleans Pelicans fans are excited to see how their reloaded roster looks in regular-season competition. However, one day before tip-off is a hugely important deadline for one marquee name on this roster; Brandon Ingram.

Ingram, a member of the 2016 NBA Draft class, joins a pool of former first-round picks seeking their rookie-scale extension heading into the 2019-2020 season. The deadline arrives on Oct. 21, just one day before the NBA’s regular season tip-off (when the Pelicans take on the Toronto Raptors).

Earlier in the summer, 2016 Draft classers, Caris LeVert, Jamal Murray, and most-notably Ben Simmons all inked their rookie-scale extensions to stay with the teams who brought them into the league.

He’s performed below his high expectations so far in his NBA career, but he’s still been a very good player in this league. Last season for the Los Angeles Lakers, Ingram averaged 18.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists, shooting with a 51.8% effective field goal rate. He also suffered from blood clots last season, something that’s medically a cause for concern for the just 22-year-old forward entering just the fourth season of his career.

There is skepticism, however, that a few members of the class who are due for extensions will be able to reach new deals before the season’s start. This increases the probability that a new deal with Ingram will be a lingering question mark that continues throughout the New Orleans Pelicans’ season.

In terms of money, Ingram’s deal will be less like the 3-yr., $52.5 million deal LeVert received and more like the 5-yr., $170 million max deal the Philadelphia 76ers doled out for Simmons. Due to the nature of that sort of money, it makes sense that the Pelicans want to see how Ingram performs this season before making big changes to their cap outlook.

Considering the Pelicans’ still have a qualifying offer attached to Ingram, it’s pretty much impossible that he’ll be able to simply walk away from New Orleans in free agency. Ingram will almost certainly be extended a qualifying offer, meaning he’ll hit restricted free agency, allowing the Pelicans to match any offer the forward accepts from another team.

Unless it’s a notably poor season for Ingram, it’s very unlikely the Pelicans will let him walk in free agency. Ingram has the highest ceiling of any player acquired in the trade package that sent Anthony Davis to Los Angeles this offseason and with time to grow, could become a fixture in New Orleans.

Headed into the 2019-2020 season, Ingram is going to be one of the most exciting and important Pelicans players to watch, regardless of whether or not the team is able to get a new contract in place before the season.