I think if you ask anyone who has eyes and loves the game of basketball, they are going to say that Brandon Ingram is one of the most visually pleasing players to watch in the entire NBA. That being said, talent and swag aren't everything. During his 6 years in New Orleans, Ingram has missed 187 games and is now in the latter half of his prime with major injuries.
The Pelicans traded All-Star forward Brandon Ingram to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, a first-round pick, and a second-round pick. While the package is far from glamorous, the decision to part ways when they did is only going to pay off for New Orleans.
One NBA analyst voiced his concerns about the Raptors and Ingram next season.
On a recent episode of the ALL NBA Podcast hosted by Adam Mares and Tim Legler, Legler went on to talk about how Ingram has only appeared in 56% of his games the last 4 years, and is going to miss time. He used the phrase "never available" to describe the soon-to-be 28-year-old.
Although this opinion from Legler is something that would worry and upset Raptors fans, it should excite all Pelicans fans as they have now rid themselves of the injury-riddled former All-Star.
The Ingram trade is going to help the Pelicans in a plethora of ways
Trading BI undeniably will help the Pelicans be a healthier team, but it will also open things up for Herb Jones and Trey Murphy. Over the last 3 years, there's been a minor logjam at the wing spot, as Herb, Trey, Brandon, and Zion all need minutes at the forward/wing spots, so now with Ingram being gone, things are wide open.
Although New Orleans loses out on some talent, I think moving on from Ingram is similar to the Clippers letting Paul George go last summer, as sometimes less is more. For the Clippers, that deal helped both Ivica Zubac and Norman Powell break out due to having expanded roles. This is exactly what I expect for Trey Murphy as he can now be the clear-cut #2 next to Zion Williamson, and can grow on last season, where in a lesser role he averaged 21.2 points per game.
Moving on from Ingram has also opened things up defensively, as both Murphy and Jones are superior defenders to the Raptors' forward.
Similar to trading CJ McCollum earlier this summer, the Pelicans' decision to trade Brandon Ingram during the 2025 trade deadline is a move that, looking back, couldn't have come at a better time.