There's been a ton of speculation around Brandon Ingram's future with the New Orleans Pelicans. He and the team have yet to agree on a contract extension which has him slated for unrestricted free agency at the end of the season, unless they can ink a new deal together before June 30.
That's not the only deadline they're up against though. If Vice President David Griffin and the rest of New Orleans's brass believe that Ingram is a flight risk in the summer, they need to trade him before the February 6 deadline to ensure that they can get something in return for his services instead of losing him for nothing in the offseason.
The Pelicans and their fans have been preparing for Ingram's departure all season and have honestly been anticipating it for years prior. The mismatched pairing between him and Zion Williamson always seemed temporary. But while the world has been waiting for Ingram's next career move, Brandon Ingram has steadily built a fantastic career in New Orleans, one that's been severely underrated and swept under the rug by his ill fit next to Zion and his inevitable exodus.
Brandon Ingram has climbed the Pelicans franchise leaderboards
Let me preface this by saying that the New Orleans Pelicans are one of the youngest franchises in the NBA. They've only been around for just over two decades, so practically every player that's donned the uniform has been a trailblazer of sorts.
Still, despite their limited presence in the annals of the league, New Orleans has seen some incredible basketball talents in their history. Two of the NBA's 75 greatest players ever have played for NOLA: Anthony Davis and Chris Paul. Zion, Jrue Holiday, David West, Tyson Chandler, and others have racked up great moments playing for the Pelicans, formerly known as the Hornets.
It may not happen until he's gone, but Brandon Ingram should be regarded as one of the most decorated players in the franchise's history because he's undeniably present among the team's all-time leaderboards.
He's currently sixth in games and minutes played, fifth in field goals made and attempted, fourth in free throws made and attempted, and third in assists.
He may have already played his last game as a Pelican without us knowing, but if he ends up playing out the season or signing an extension with the team, he'll only continue to rise up the ranks. He's currently fifth in points with 7,017 and only needs 304 more to pass Jrue Holiday for fourth. At his usual pace, he only needs another 15 or so games to do it.
If he can return for the Pelicans, the franchise's all-time 3-pointers made record is up for grabs for Ingram. He's currently second at 560 and only needs to hit 69 more triples to surpass Holiday to be the deadliest sniper in New Orleans history. Him getting traded just short of that achievement would be a perfect encapsulation of his time with the Pelicans.