Trade number one: Brandon Ingram to the Miami Heat for Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez, and a protected future first-round pick
"While the Miami Heat are always a candidate to go whale hunting, they may be extra motivated to reel in that big fish this summer. With Bam Adebayo firmly in his prime and Jimmy Butler on the back end of his, this feels like the right time for Miami to strike, and the organization is reportedly hoping to do just that.Zach Buckley - B/R
"Players want to be a part of that organization," ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said. "So I think Miami will be in a position again to use the assets they have to go out and get another All-Star-level player that maybe connects more on the timeline of Bam Adebayo and his age."
When scanning the list of potential South Beach targets, New Orleans Pelicans swingman Brandon Ingram comes to mind. He's the same age as Adebayo (26), and he's a skilled enough scorer and secondary playmaker to get Miami's offense, which ranked 21st in efficiency, out of the mud. He could conceivably become available if an early playoff exit propels the Pelicans to rethink the Ingram-Zion Williamson tandem."
New Orleans would have a hard time passing up on this deal. Ingram is an all-star level player, but the emergence of Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones has created a minutes crunch on the wings in New Orleans. Ingram is still only 26-years-old and would fit nicely in Miami. The Heat have a decades long history of bringing out the best in players and Erik Spoelstra could elevate Ingram from a fringe all-star to a go-to guy in South Beach.
On the Pelicans side of this deal, it's a no-brainer. Herro is a consistent NBA Sixth Man of the Year caliber player, and would be a perfect shot-maker for a team that lacks consistent bench scoring. Jaime Jaquez should be named to the All-Rookie First-Team in a couple of weeks, and his young talent would fit nicely alongside the Pelicans core.
Moving away from Brandon Ingram would leave the Pelicans short on offense, but Bleacher Report's next potential trade will infuse some bucket-getting straight back into the Big Easy.