Star No. 1: Brandon Ingram, New Orleans Pelicans
Ingram may be the most likely star to be traded this offseason as it seems the Pelicans are unlikely to pay him and would rather build the team around Zion Williamson. There is a lot of overlap with Zion and Ingram’s games and the two have failed to accentuate each other’s talents playing together.
But both are excellent players who like to operate in the midrange and can be lethal scorers. If a bidding war breaks out for Ingram, the Nuggets are likely out of luck. But if his market is underwhelming, that could be a chance for Denver to sneak in and try to steal away the 26-year-old former All-Star.
5 3-POINTERS IN A ROW FOR BRANDON INGRAM 😳
— Bookmakers Review (@BMRReviews) February 6, 2024
He's up to 41 points on the night
✅ Over 23.5 PTS pic.twitter.com/4zYeqJ7h7W
Ingram would slot almost perfectly into Porter Jr.’s role in the starting lineup but would provide far more of an offensive punch. He is a true midrange maestro and another guy who can go out and get a bucket with the best of them.
Ingram seems unlikely to ever break out into a true go-to guy, but this could be similar to an Aaron Gordon situation; a player who embraces a smaller role to be a big part of a winning team. Ingram could be the missing piece to a juggernaut of an offensive big three if he can find his optimal role, playing in between Murray and Jokic.