Pelicans: Breaking down a proposed NBA Draft trade of Brandon Ingram

Brandon Ingram #14 of the New Orleans Pelicans shoots the ball against the Indiana Pacers (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Brandon Ingram #14 of the New Orleans Pelicans shoots the ball against the Indiana Pacers (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
1 of 3
New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans Pelicans 2020 NBA Draft Grades (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

The New Orleans Pelicans have the 10th pick in the NBA Draft and need for a new roster around Zion Williamson, but would they consider trading All-Star Brandon Ingram to get it?

This question has been floating around this offseason, as many think David Griffin will make a bold move to remake the roster around Zion.

Some have questioned Brandon Ingram’s long term fit around Zion considering they are both below average defenders at this point in their careers.

I am not one of those people, as I think having two stars under 25 is exactly what you want and that the team should build around their respective talents to make it work.

But that hasn’t stopped the speculation and a recent trade was proposed that might tempt some fans to re-think their position.

Pelicans: Would the Pelicans trade Brandon Ingram?

A group of ESPN insiders recently floated a trade idea that would completely change the Pelicans’ roster around Zion:

Phew! I have to give them credit for coming up with an interesting trade idea.

This would be an entirely new team that was more custom-made to work around Zion Williamson, but sacrifices two big pieces in Brandon Ingram and the 10th pick in a pretty deep NBA Draft.

This would be an admission that David Griffin made some poor choices when trading for Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams and would give him a chance for a fresh start.

I wouldn’t personally do this trade (more on that later) but it is worth considering why the Pelicans might choose to go this route.