Brandon Ingram had some subtle digs for the Pelicans in his Raptors press conference

Brandon Ingram was mostly heartbroken in his departure from New Orleans, but he couldn't help but send a few subliminal shots at the Pelicans in his press conference for the Raptors.
Cleveland Cavaliers v Toronto Raptors
Cleveland Cavaliers v Toronto Raptors | Cole Burston/GettyImages

It's still too early to properly grade the Brandon Ingram trade for the New Orleans Pelicans. I can give my instant reactions, but we still haven't seen BI make his debut for the Toronto Raptors nor has Kelly Olynyk suited up for the Pels yet. I analyzed the deal from a transactional standpoint, but the trade's success for New Orleans won't be fully known until all of the moving parts have settled, including the 2031 second-round pick they got.

Toronto doesn't stand to get instant gratification from acquiring Ingram. It's still unknown when he'll don the Raptors red for the first time, and his arrival hasn't made any impact on their title odds with Vegas — although that's not surprising for a team that's currently slotting in at 13th in the East at 17-37.

They clearly didn't make this deal for this present season, evidenced by the extension they gave BI less than a week after the trade. He'll have to perform upon his return to live up to the three-year, $120 million contract they gave him. After some heartwrenching goodbyes, it appears that Ingram is excited to undertake his new venture in the Great White North. Unfortunately, he couldn't help but take some shots at the New Orleans Pelicans in his introductory press conference.

Brandon Ingram may have sent some subliminal shots at the New Orleans Pelicans

Marc Stein reported on The Stein Line that Brandon Ingram had turned down a four-year, $160 million offer from the Pelicans at some point during their contract negotiations. This is notable because he wound up signing for the same average annual value of $40 million on his extension with the Raptors.

He certainly took a risk leaving another $40 million on the table by rejecting that offer from New Orleans. He was likely seeking a four-year, $200 million extension at the time, so, in his mind, he was actually being shorted $40 million. This could still work out for BI. He might hit the ground running upon his return and might even outplay his new contract in Toronto. If so, he could drop his player option ahead of the 2027-28 season and seek a new long-term deal when the salary cap will be significantly higher.

Either way, though, it doesn't look like Ingram has any regrets over turning down the Pelicans' offer. In one of his introductory press conferences for the Raptors, he spoke about his excitement for the next chapter of his career, disclosing that he worked with New Orleans to help find his new home.

In that media availability, he said some standard things like how much he loved the city of Toronto and how he had great respect for his new teammates and coach. He had one quote that stuck out though:

"I just knew I needed a fresh start — a fresh start where guys played hard and they listen."

It's hard not to hear that as a subliminal shot at Pelicans Head Coach Willie Green and Ingram's former teammates. This season, there have been plenty of games where New Orleans has looked completely apathetic and disinterested in their game plans and schemes. That said, the most passive defender and selfish scorer during Ingram's tenure in the Bayou was often BI himself, so this soundbite is quite ironic to anyone who's been following the Pelicans closely over the last few years. Hopefully, this change of scenery will work out for both Brandon Ingram and New Orleans.

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