1. Trade BI
Ingram was a questionable fit next to Zion Williamson and it got worse after acquiring Dejounte Murray. The Pelicans' new point guard loves to attack in the mid-range like BI and putting enough defense around that duo is difficult. That makes no mention of the lack of shooting from those three stars. It just does not work.
The Pels want to build around Zion. Murray, Trey Murphy III, and Herb Jones are off limits in trade talks, which leaves just Ingram and C.J. McCollum as players making significant money capable of being moved. New Orleans would struggle to trade McCollum for a starting center, which leaves BI.
The Pelicans must extend or trade Ingram. If he will only sign a max contract, trading him is the move left on the board. New Orleans should take the best available offer and figure out their roster from there. It is tough to trade an All-Star for less than peak value, but the Pels do not have an option if they do not plan to extend him. Letting Ingram walk in free agency is the nightmare scenario, and one David Griffin cannot let happen.
The New Orleans Pelicans have work to do and will be one of the most talked about teams until a Brandon Ingram trade is made. Buckle up fans because more roster changes are coming. Can the Pels become serious title contenders? Stay tuned to find out.