The New Orleans Pelicans convinced the Toronto Raptors to give up Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, a 2026 first-round draft pick, and a 2031 second-rounder for Brandon Ingram. This was after he couldn't not work out an extension in New Orleans. Ingram was leaving the franchise, and the since-fired David Griffin did a fantastic job in getting real value for an expiring contract.
The Raptors quickly worked out a three-year $120 million extension, which proved they did not see him as overpaid. Toronto believes in the All-Star, but New Orleans had plenty of data on why that was a mistake. The Pels made the playoffs twice in his six seasons and never won a playoff round. Ingram was not the answer.
To make matters worse for Toronto, the 27-year-old played just 18 games this season. He never suited up for the Raptors, and his last game of the season was on Dec. 7. Ingram had a severe ankle injury, which furthers a trend.
Brandon Ingram struggles to stay on the floor
BI played 79 games in his rookie season for the Lakers in 2017. His next highest game total was 64 in 2024. He has appeared in fewer than 60 games in five of the last eight years and averages just 42.3 over the previous three seasons. Not what you expect from someone making $40 million per year.
Ingram is an elite scorer and playmaker. There is no questioning his on-court production, but his team gets nothing when he misses games. Over the last four seasons, the Pelicans went 53-93 when Ingram was out and 95-87 when he played. They would have been back in the Play-In mix with a healthy BI but instead finished with the fourth-worst record in the league.
Pelicans were letting Brandon Ingram go either way
Fans should look at this trade as a massive win. Ingram was not playing for the Pelicans in the 2025-26 season. To get two role players, including Kelly Olynyk, and two draft picks was a massive win. Olynyk is under contract for the upcoming season and can be a valuable rotation big man. New Orleans will have the Pacers' 2026 first-round draft pick to upgrade their roster and a distant second-rounder to use as a trade chip.
That is a solid haul for an expiring contract. The Pelicans must nail the draft pick or get value in a trade to make this a slam dunk, but they already deserve credit. It appeared nobody wanted Brandon Ingram on a massive contract. New Orleans found the team and got value for the All-Star forward, while he was out for the rest of the season.
The New Orleans Pelicans are in a state of flux. Joe Dumars is taking over the front office and wants to get them back into contention. Can he do it? It will likely take multiple moves like this one, but that won’t be easy. The Pels hope to get lucky in the lottery, but even if they don’t, things are changing. Will they be for the better? Only time will tell.