Brandon Ingram expected to be available for trade as wing market takes shape

With the 2024 NBA Draft complete, the league’s trading market is expected to continue with trade activity over the weekend, league sources told Yahoo Sports, as various clubs look to add players for the next season or to reshuffle salaries ahead of the 2024-25 fiscal year which begins when free agency opens at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday.

The second round of Thursday’s draft has already seen the Denver Nuggets, for example, send three future second-round picks to Charlotte, sources said, in order to move Reggie Jackson’s $5.2 million salary. It’s a move that should provide much-needed flexibility for Denver as NBA personnel prepare for the release of Nuggets forward Kentavious Caldwell-Pope via free agency after the veteran declined his $15.4 million player option Thursday.

There are several other important decisions regarding player options and contract guarantees looming over the next 48 hours, perhaps none more important than Paul George’s $48.7 million option to stay with the Clippers – which he could potentially turn down and join Caldwell-Pope on the open market. Another winger expected to factor into this mix of perimeter talent, Brandon Ingram, is expected to become available for a trade to New Orleans, league sources told Yahoo Sports, if Ingram’s representation and the front office of the Pelicans were unable to find a long-term contract. extension deal before Ingram enters the final year of his current contract in 2024-25.

David Griffin told reporters after Wednesday night’s first round that the Pelicans hope to keep Ingram and that he wants to stay in New Orleans. The Pelicans, however, have never paid the luxury tax, and New Orleans will likely have to set a cap below Ingram’s potential maximum salary.

Ingram has been listed among Philadelphia’s targets this offseason, sources said, somewhere below George, although it’s not exactly clear where Ingram ranks among the Sixers’ proverbial group of wing targets to be placed between Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. In the event George rejects Philadelphia, the Sixers could easily acquire Ingram with their $60 million-plus cap hit, but could Philly’s three first-round picks prove to be enough for Ingram?

Cleveland continues to be mentioned by league personnel as a possible alternative to Ingram, but there is no simple path to completing such a deal with the Cavaliers. Even though Cleveland is interested in Ingram and values ​​his skills, according to sources, the Cavs staff remains reluctant to split the team’s core of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, as the personalities of The NBA continues to prepare for Mitchell to sign a lucrative contract. extension. Without parting ways with Allen, who has long been on New Orleans’ radar, it’s difficult to find a path to bring Ingram to Northeast Ohio. (Another center the Pelicans were eyeing, Nets big man Nic Claxton, has now signed on for four more years at $100 million in Brooklyn.) Cleveland also doesn’t want to part with Garland, reports said. sources, even if its representation at Klutch Sport attempts to promote its own craft.

Atlanta is another popular landing spot that league numbers have indicated for Ingram, but there have been no substantial discussions between the Hawks and Pelicans, sources said, as both teams have discussed scenarios trade deals regarding Dejounte Murray before the February trade deadline. Atlanta was laser-focused on determining its No. 1 pick in this week’s draft, then the Hawks were determined to move on to the second round, sources said, as Atlanta ultimately went with Nikola Đurišić. The Hawks are certainly now expected to evaluate trade possibilities for Murray, All-Star guard Trae Young, Clint Capela and the rest of their players not named Jalen Johnson and Zaccharie Risacher, sources said. Young has the Pelicans in mind as his next favorite possible team, league sources told Yahoo Sports, in addition to the Spurs and Lakers, but Young’s fit never made much sense for a situation at New Orleans which currently features CJ McCollum in its backcourt.

A team to watch for Ingram would be Sacramento. The Kings have considered avenues to acquire various wings, sources said, from Kyle Kuzma to Zach LaVine, and Ingram could be another option for Sacramento to explore, sources said. The Kings have veteran wingers Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter, whom Sacramento placed on the trade market at the latest deadline, sources said, and their two salaries combine to form a near-perfect match to hit the $36 million figure. of expiring Ingram dollars for 2024-2025.

Utah’s Next Steps

The Jazz could have more than $40 million in cap room, plus salaries for veterans like John Collins and Jordan Clarkson and future draft capital, to add anyone on the market from Ingram to George. That’s why Utah worked its way into the Mikal Bridges sweepstakes, sources said, before the Nets ultimately sent the 27-year-old forward to New York.

The Jazz find themselves in a similar position to Brooklyn before they gave up Bridges: a non-contending roster with a 27-year-old centerpiece on a valuable contract in which the entire league had interest. In Utah, that would be Lauri Markkanen, who has already been named an All-Star unlike Bridges and will be entering the final year of his contract if he doesn’t find an extension with Utah in the coming days and weeks. At this point, the Jazz are expected to prioritize finding an extension with Markkanen, sources said, and Utah officials made that clear in their approach for Bridges. That won’t stop rival teams from calling and registering their interest in Markkanen, in the hopes that Utah might decide to pitch like Brooklyn did — if the Jazz can’t find someone close to a second star for Markkanen.

Utah is clearly looking to be opportunistic. Concrete discussions took place between the Jazz and Hawks about Murray at the trade deadline, sources said. The big moves that could ultimately come from Utah this summer, beyond dealing with the Markkanen situation, could present one of the most interesting circumstances of the NBA offseason.

The Nets, meanwhile, are considered open to doing business with veterans such as Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith, sources said, even after re-signing Claxton.

The Bucks continue to be mentioned by league personnel as a team to watch in the trade market. Milwaukee successfully landed a potential center of the future in Tyler Smith with the No. 33 pick in Thursday’s second round. Smith could potentially help replace Brook Lopez this offseason if Milwaukee does indeed part ways with its veteran center who is about to enter the final year of his contract. Pat Connaughton and Bobby Portis also continue to be mentioned as trade candidates, sources said.

The Warriors have another fascinating math problem to solve. Golden State has reportedly agreed to increase Chris Paul’s guaranteed amount for the 2024-25 season to push back the team’s de facto deadline to retain his $30 million salary for the upcoming year. Golden State has already guaranteed Kevon Looney’s $8 million after Gary Payton II exercised his $9.1 million player option. Those three players, plus wing Andrew Wiggins, are considered potential outgoing contracts for the Warriors, as Golden State attempts to reshape a competitive team around Stephen Curry.