Why Brandon Ingram's next few weeks will have seismic effect on Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans are entering an absolutely crucial stretch of their season. In years past, many playoff teams have had the luxury of coasting throughout the early months of the campaign, knowing that they had plenty of time left to secure their spot in the postseason.

With the Pelicans sitting at 4-10 after a flurry of injuries, nesting in the 14th seed in a loaded Western Conference, they have no time to waste if they still mean to compete for the championship this season. It may already be too late for New Orleans, though. At the time of writing, they're three full games behind the 10th seed and might not get CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, and Dejounte Murray back anytime soon either.

Even if New Orleans decides to throw in the towel and take this season as a gap year, though, these next few weeks will still be crucial to the team's future. According to Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer, Brandon Ingram is about to play some of the most important basketball of his career, even if it's for a flailing Pelicans squad.

The Pelicans' future hinges on Brandon Ingram's play for the next few weeks

It was always surmised that Brandon Ingram could be traded this season. He's actually had his name run through trade rumors practically since he arrived in New Orleans, but the talks got a lot more substantial starting this past summer. It became clear over time that his pairing with Zion Williamson was less than ideal. As he's currently in the last year of his deal and reportedly seeking a hefty $200 million extension that the Pelicans are unwilling to meet, it'd only make sense for them to trade him ahead of February's deadline instead of losing him for nothing in the summer when he'll become an unrestricted free agent lest he and the team can reach an agreement on a new deal before then.

Per Fischer, we could see trade talks for Ingram heat up well before February. He reported that December 15 could be a momentous day for the Pelicans, the date when all of the players that signed with new teams in the summer will be eligible to be traded. At that junction, the possible deals for Ingram will increase exponentially.

Fischer also stated that executives around the league are using this period — with Zion and company sidelined, leaving Ingram as the unchallenged number one option for the Pelicans — to further evaluate BI. During this stretch, he'll have plenty of reps to prove his mettle with the team decrepit in depth and scoring.

It's highly unlikely that Ingram's next team intends to make him the centerpiece of their offense, though, so he'll have to prove that he can be a winning player without being the main cog. These executives and scouts will want him to show his continued improvements as an off-ball scorer, defender, and playmaker, to determine if he can be a co-star that elevates his team's ceiling.

While Ingram's time with the Pelicans is likely coming to an end soon, they need each other now more than ever. Ingram needs New Orleans to send him to a place where he can shine and earn the lucrative, long-term contract he's seeking. And the Pels need him to play the best basketball of his life and command the most desirable trade package possible.