The Brandon Ingram saga continues for the The New Orleans Pelicans This summer, with the two sides unable to negotiate a contract extension, Ingram is entering the final year of his current deal this season. The former All-Star is seeking a max extension worth more than $208 million, and New Orleans is unwilling to offer such a deal.
Pelicans executive president of basketball operations David Griffin acknowledged the financial hurdle of signing the former Duke star to such a contract.
“There’s a financial reality to this,” Griffin told reporters this summer. “And I think there’s more we can do to keep this group together, it may not be as far as he and his agency would like. So for now, we’re going to play the game.”
Rumors have circulated that New Orleans teams engaged in potential trade negotiations There were rumors about Ingram’s availability, but those talks didn’t pan out. Since then, most teams have passed on the opportunity to acquire him. NBC Bay Sports Writer Mount Poole writes that the Golden State Warriors are on this list of teams.
“The Warriors are no longer willing to compromise their bottom line, sacrifice a bunch of draft picks or disrupt their roster for someone who doesn’t have a consensus,” Poole wrote. “Brandon Ingram, for example, is one of those who some sources say doesn’t meet that standard. There are enough upsides and downsides that any chance of him coming to Golden State is slim.”
The Warriors were looking to make a splash this summer after one of the cornerstones of their dynasty, Klay Thompson, signed with the Dallas Mavericks this offseason. Golden State failed to acquire higher-caliber stars in Paul George or Lauri Markkanen, so they settled for adding Buddy Hield and Kyle Anderson. The Warriors appear to be out of the running for Brandon Ingram.
That leaves the 27-year-old’s future with the Pelicans up in the air. The internet tried to connect the dots from a recent social media post Ingram posted on Instagram of a motivational speaker telling people to leave environments where others don’t recognize their true worth. Then the players staged a Voluntary training in California that all players except Daniel Theis were expected to be present. Ingram did not attend practice with his teammates.
New Orleans opens its regular season on Oct. 23 against the Chicago Bulls. Ingram is expected to start the season in New Orleans, but if the two fail to reach an agreement in the first half of the year, the Pelicans will likely look to offload him before the trade deadline for fear he’ll leave for nothing as a free agent.