The ideal return package for proposed Brandon Ingram to Hornets trade

We're about three weeks into the 2024-25 NBA season. By now, the teams have started to sort themselves into tiers, although there are some notable exceptions. For example, the Milwaukee Bucks are nowhere near where they were expected to be at this point in the campaign, sitting at just 4-8 after a much-needed overtime win over the Detroit Pistons.

The Philadelphia 76ers are in the same boat at 2-9, although they've only had Joel Embiid available for one game and they've yet to see him, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey all healthy at the same time. That same sentiment applies to the New Orleans Pelicans but to an even more extreme extent. Against the Orlando Magic on November 8, Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, Zion Williamson, and Jordan Hawkins were all out with injuries. That's six of the Pelicans' top seven players.

We may be less than a month into the season, but the trade talks have already started — or, rather, they've continued because they really never stop nowadays. The Pelicans have been extremely active as a team on the trade machines, as they're clearly reeling and could certainly benefit from a reset, if not a total teardown. Bleacher Report recently named Brandon Ingram as a dream trade target for the Charlotte Hornets, and there's a way to make that happen that would genuinely benefit both teams.

How the Pelicans could maximize a trade sending Brandon Ingram to the Charlotte Hornets

Brandon Ingram is the name that pops up in trade rumors and proposals for the Pelicans, for good reason. He'll be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season unless he and New Orleans can reach an agreement on an extension before then. Otherwise, the Pels will risk losing him for nothing this summer, if they don't wind up trading him away before the February deadline.

Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes recognized this and thought that he'd be a great fit for what the Charlotte Hornets are building:

"Ingram, a North Carolina product, would add to an exciting core that already includes Ball and second-year wing Brandon Miller, giving the Hornets a dangerous scorer and adding to an already long and rangy roster. As long as Charlotte is willing to consider meeting Ingram's contract demands after his current deal expires, it'd be easy enough to use Miles Bridges' salary as the primary matching tool for the one-time All-Star."

Ingram would be an enticing fit with the Hornets, but Hughes is dead wrong in his assertion that the Pelicans would be interested in taking back Miles Bridges. Unless there's a boatload of draft capital attached, there's absolutely no reason New Orleans should want to take on his three-year, $75 million contract, especially when he's struggled heavily since his return. That's not to mention the off-court atrocities that he committed that led to him having to "return" to begin with. Instead, the Pels would be wise to demand a conglomerate of complementary pieces and draft capital back from Charlotte.

This deal would turn Brandon Ingram — a redundant on-ball scorer who doesn't complement Zion or the other Pelicans' stars well — into a variety of supporting pieces that would drastically boon New Orleans's depth. Nick Richards gives the Pels another dependable center that could form a legitimate rotation alongside Yves Missi, one with the modern-day skill set and athleticism to survive in today's league.

Grant Williams is a versatile piece who can play on the wings or inside, giving Head Coach Willie Green the ability to go five-out with a small-ball five still if he wishes, without sacrificing too much defense. Josh Green is a transition and defensive specialist that can fill some of the holes Dyson Daniels left in the roster. Nick Smith Jr. is a young ball-handler with potential that could bloom with a change of scenery and increased opportunities.

The two first-round picks are likely to be at the end of the first round but would still make for a great return for a borderline All-Star on the last year of his deal. The cherries on top? The Pelicans actually save a tad over $2 million in cap with this deal and significantly diversify their portfolio for any future trades they'd like to make.