THE The New Orleans Pelicans And Utah Jazz Trade partners had already been discussed before the offseason. Now there is a new suggestion that would see the two teams team up for a deal.
Brandon Ingram has been at the center of trade speculation between these two teams. Once again, he is.
Bleacher Report suggested a new trade idea that would send Ingram to the Jazz in exchange for center Walker Kessler and forward John Collins.
They explained why Kessler could be a perfect addition for the Pelicans.
“Kessler would fill a major need at the five-man line for New Orleans, and while he appeared to regress as a sophomore, the big shot-blocker has been one of the league’s best basket protectors since turning pro. Pair him with Williamson, Jones, Murphy and Murray, and the Pelicans could find themselves among the league’s stingiest units this season.”
During the 2023-24 NBA season with Utah, Kessler finished with an average of 8.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.4 baskets per game. He shot 65.4% of his shots. At 23 years old, Kessler could be a key long-term piece of New Orleans’ roster.
Collins would also be a good replacement. He finished last season averaging 15.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game while shooting 53.2 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from three-point range.
As for the Jazz, they would get a true star in return. Ingram would pair perfectly with Lauri Markkanen and give Utah some much-needed star power.
He is coming off a season with the Pelicans in which he averaged 20.8 points per game, along with 5.7 assists and 5.1 rebounds. He shot 49.2 percent overall and 35.5 percent from three-point range.
Those are the kinds of numbers that could take the Jazz to the next level.
At first glance, this looks like a win-win situation for both teams. It doesn’t happen very often, but this could be one of those situations.
Both teams would fill significant needs with this move and bring in players who could remain with the team for the foreseeable future. It would be interesting to see how it would play out if the two franchises were to come together and complete the deal.
All that being said, this is obviously just speculation. However, it seems likely that Ingram will be forced to change direction at some point.