Ranking 8 Brandon Ingram suitors by best fit

3. New Orleans Pelicans

A fair question to ask Ingram is why would he leave a situation where he's found success and stability. Often relied upon heavily during Zion Williamson's injury-riddled first five seasons of his career, Ingram has essentially been a primary scoring option for the franchise. Ingram has reached the height of his young career in New Orleans, winning a Most Improved Player in 2019-20 in his lone season as an All-Star. Ingram's just now entering his prime, and he's proven to be reliable if healthy.

Those last two words: 'If healthy'. Those are amongst the concerns the Pelicans have with bringing Ingram back long-term. In eight seasons, Ingram has played 65 or more games just once, his rookie season with the Lakers. In the following two seasons in Los Angeles, Ingram played 59 and 52 games, running into injuries that sidelined him for a significant amount of games. With New Orleans, Ingram has played 62, 61, 55, 45, and 64 games per season. Ingram is also an average defender at best.

While Ingram's diminishing health has hurt his value, his play has spoken for itself. Teams are willing to take the short-term risk on him in hopes that he can remain healthy. If Ingram can remain healthy, his chances of securing a long-term become significantly higher, whether with New Orleans or another team. However, New Orleans is most familiar with Ingram and hopes he takes a slightly reduced salary for the betterment of the team. If Ingram decides on a reduced number long-term, he'll be a Pelican.