Brandon Ingram’s Pelicans future is as hazy as ever, and the clock is ticking

There are only 26 days until the New Orleans Pelicans’ first day of training camp, and the franchise still hasn’t answered the No. 1 question looming over the team since July.

Will Brandon Ingram be a member of the Pelicans on opening night?

After a summer full of rumors and very little movement in actual trade discussions, all signs point to Ingram remaining with the Pelicans and playing out the final year of his contract.

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If so, how will Ingram respond if he has to return to the Pelicans without the long-term extension he was looking for or a clear understanding of his future?

Our first indication came last week when Ingram did not attend a week-long voluntary minicamp held by Pelicans players in California, which featured every player on the roster except Ingram and recent signee Daniel Theis. (Zion Williamson left early for a series of Jordan Brand events in China, which the Pelicans and the rest of the players anticipated.)  The Pelicans believed Ingram would be there, but he never showed, according to team sources.

This is an event Ingram has organized for his teammates several times in the past, so his absence stood out. The Pelicans hoped this minicamp would be the first time Williamson, Ingram, CJ McCollum and newly acquired point guard Dejounte Murray could all get on the court.

A recent post on Ingram’s Instagram page featured Houston-area pastor Keion Henderson speaking about the importance of “staying away from environments where people don’t know the true value of you.”

Ah… the NBA is real quiet, literally nothing happening… All the trades seem to be done…

Oh hey Brandon Ingram Just posted this! pic.twitter.com/kXfNpndGZV

— Nick Angstadt (@NickVanExit) August 30, 2024

Ingram hasn’t been the type to send subliminal shots via social media, but he’s never been in this position, with his team — and just about every other one in the NBA — indicating his value isn’t as high as he believes it is.

GO DEEPER

Brandon Ingram faces his toughest opponent: himself

Ingram and the Pelicans have made it clear that, in a perfect world, he already would have signed his extension and solidified his relationship with the organization that welcomed him with open arms from the moment he arrived in 2019.

But with Williamson, Murray, and McCollum already on lucrative contracts for at least the next two seasons and 24-year-old wing Trey Murphy now eligible to sign a large extension of his own, the Pelicans have little interest in also supplying Ingram a four-year maximum extension worth a projected $207.8 million. The decision becomes easier for a small-market team like New Orleans, which always has to be cautious when giving out those big-money deals.

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Meanwhile, it seems clear the trade market has dried up and there’s not much of a chance Ingram will be dealt before the start of the regular season. While some contenders might be tempted to bet on his talent and figure out a deal later, the implications of giving him the max or near-max contract he’s seeking would put most other teams in a precarious financial position with the brutal team-building restrictions that come with having a team salary above the second apron line. That’s also the main reason the Pelicans have shown such little interest in giving Ingram such a deal.

Given the circumstances, the Pelicans are prepared to enter the season with this exact roster and see how Williamson, Ingram, Murray, McCollum, Murphy and Herb Jones can all fit together. New Orleans undoubtedly has one of the most talented group of perimeter players in the NBA.

But there’s not much of a chance this works unless Ingram is bought in and willing to do whatever it takes to help the pieces fit together, even if he doesn’t secure a contract extension. As much as his game has been picked apart since his struggles when the Pelicans were swept by Oklahoma City in last season’s playoffs, his playmaking, one-on-one shot creation and commitment to filling in key gaps on both ends are qualities Murphy, McCollum and Jones haven’t proved they can provide consistently. While Murray’s addition provides more cover if Williamson misses extended time with an injury, that situation becomes much more palatable with Ingram also available to be the No. 1 option on a nightly basis.

Ingram remains a highly regarded figure to many within the organization for his work as a leader in the locker room and his past play when Williamson wasn’t healthy. Several Pelicans players made a point of paying their respects to Ingram during a time when his future with the team remains uncertain. Ingram’s 27th birthday was on Monday, and a few teammates showed him love on social media even after his no-show in California.

Dejounte Murray x Brandon Ingram

Via Dejounte’s IG pic.twitter.com/oUmuuKbKMt

— Ingram Alerts (@IngramAlerts) September 2, 2024

President wishes BI a Happy Birthday on Instagram

(Via CJ McCollum IG) pic.twitter.com/zLB4qPc9hG

— Ingram Alerts (@IngramAlerts) September 2, 2024

Ingram doesn’t have to look far in his past to see how being less than committed to New Orleans because of contractual unhappiness has backfired on a few of his teammates.

In the summer of 2021, Josh Hart entered restricted free agency and didn’t have as many suitors as he expected. He begrudgingly signed a new deal with the Pelicans once it was clear he didn’t have better options elsewhere, and he spent much of the following season quietly hoping for a trade. It’s a topic he’s spoken about openly on his podcast, “The Roommates Show.”

Josh Hart: “I don’t think you’ll ever hear someone say they were excited to be traded to New Orleans.”

(via @Roommates__Show, @playmaker) pic.twitter.com/RUGWSPFZ1U

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) August 23, 2024

Eventually, the Pelicans sent Hart to Portland in the trade that brought McCollum to New Orleans. He had to play 64 games for a bad Blazers team over two seasons before finally getting moved to the Knicks.

Another example is JJ Redick, who requested the Pelicans trade him to Brooklyn or Philadelphia during the 2020-21 season so he could be closer to his family. Instead, New Orleans sent him to Dallas in a trade-deadline deal, and Redick ripped the Pelicans front office on his podcast for being dishonest with him about the situation. Redick, now the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, played 13 games for the Mavericks in what ended up being the final season of his playing career.

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The lesson in both of these incidents: Being the disgruntled employee still under contract can backfire on a player. It can result in being moved to a situation that isn’t beneficial or, even worse, having their value decrease because they’re stuck in a losing situation.

Last season was the first time Ingram played for a team that won more than 42 games in a single season. The future New Orleans is building with this current core is a significant reason Ingram would prefer to stay long-term. He knows the culture within that locker room because he helped build it. It’s hard to believe he would be the one to tear it down because he didn’t get the contract or trade he wanted.

Perhaps Ingram will accept his future belongs with another team, whether he’s moved before the trade deadline or has to wait until he hits unrestricted free agency next summer. Even so his play on the court and his behavior behind the scenes could determine how many options are available to him once he’s free to choose his next destination.

Based on how this offseason has gone, it’s pretty clear that the rest of the league doesn’t believe Ingram’s value is as high as he thinks it is. He’s one of the most talented forwards in the league, in the prime of his career, and he’s being treated like a guy nobody wants.

If that perception is going to change, Ingram has to be the one who makes it happen.