Best Brandon Ingram trade destinations if Pelicans want to break up roster

Like the Pelicans, the Cleveland Cavaliers are a team looking to prove that they can be true threats in their conference. Unfortunately, they have not advanced past the first round of the playoffs since LeBron James took them to the NBA Finals in 2018. There are going to be a lot of questions being asked about where Cleveland goes this offseason, especially with Donovan Mitchell being eligible for an extension. The future of the Cavs’ frontcourt duo of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley is also in question.

Allen has been a target of the Pelicans since last offseason, and starting center Jonas Valanciunas is set to become a free agent. Could there be the makings of a trade already in the works here? To convince Mitchell to stay long-term, the Cavs could add the second key scorer that they have been lacking next to their All-Star, and they would still have Mobley to lead their frontcourt.

The Cavs must find a way to improve the production they receive out on the wing. Ingram could certainly provide an offensive spark in Cleveland. It should not come as a shock if Griffin and the Pelicans call Cleveland if they look to move on from Ingram this summer.

Detroit Pistons

The Detroit Pistons have been terrible for years. Although they have a ton of young, high-potential players on their roster, the Pistons won only 14 games this season. Now, they enter the offseason with their eyes set on the NBA draft lottery and the possibility of landing the first overall pick in what will be a very underwhelming draft.

The problem with the Pistons possibly pursuing Ingram is finding the right trade package to offer the Pelicans. From New Orleans’ perspective, they would need to receive immediate value that would increase their chances of competing in the playoffs. The only player that would actually make sense for the Pelicans is Jalen Duren, but the Pistons haven’t shown any indications that they would be willing to trade their young center. Maybe New Orleans would hold interest in Ausar Thompson, but would the Pistons be willing to trade him?

It is unlikely that the Pistons would be the team to land Ingram should the Pelicans look to trade him. However, expect Detroit to look for ways to improve the talent they have on the wing, either in a trade or via free agency.

Atlanta Hawks

Expect the Atlanta Hawks to be very busy in the offseason. Both Trae Young and Dejounte Murray came up in trade deadline rumors, and they will once again be main topics of discussion after the Hawks missed the playoffs. At the same time, maybe the Hawks will simply retool instead of going through a full rebuild by trading one of their guards for a different All-Star.

Could Ingram be the guy the Hawks need? He would undoubtedly be the team’s best scoring option, and Ingram makes the Hawks a longer team than they already are. The Pelicans would be able to cut costs in a trade for a guard like Murray, and they would be able to get the playmaker they have needed in their backcourt. Plus, Murray is a great two-way player that would increase the Pelicans’ defensive effort.

This could be a win-win swap across the board.

Toronto Raptors

When has Masai Ujiri ever given up on the Toronto Raptors and settled for losing seasons? That’s right, NEVER!

The Raptors are coming off their worst year since the 2011-12 season, and they truly aren’t in a terrible position. Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett are solid secondary scorers, and Toronto has their frontcourt in line with Jakob Poeltl and Kelly Olynyk under contract. The only thing this franchise needs is a new cornerstone next to Scottie Barnes, since he is not necessarily an elite-level scorer.

Ingram is the perfect wing to play off of Barnes, and he suddenly makes the Raptors a dynamic team. In the final year of his contract, Ingram may be a player the Raptors would like to take a swing at, especially if they can move Bruce Brown, Chris Boucher, and draft picks for him.

Sacramento Kings

De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis are both All-Star, All-NBA-level players. After winning 48 and 46 games in back-to-back seasons, the Sacramento Kings have made it clear that they are ready to win right now. General manager Monte McNair hasn’t hid his true intentions either, as the Kings’ executive told reporters during his end-of-season press conference that the Kings have a sense of “urgency” entering the offseason, via Kings on NBCS.

Sacramento has been mentioned with plenty of big names through the years in trade rumors. Zach LaVine and Pascal Siakam were both mentioned as candidates for the Kings to consider at the trade deadline, and Ingram has been linked to them in the past as well. The thing about Ingram is that he has never truly played alongside others who don’t need to lean on him in order for the offense to thrive. Fox is more than capable of taking over games, and Sabonis is an overall floor general at the center position.

With the Kings, Ingram would be able to thrive on the wing as the secondary scoring option this organization hasn’t had. The problem here is that the Pelicans really wouldn’t want to aid their rivals in the Western Conference by giving up Ingram at a cheap price. That is why their demands would most certainly revolve around Keegan Murray, whom the Kings have made untouchable in trade conversations.

As a whole, the Kings don’t have much to deal with right now. Malik Monk is a free agent they would like to bring back, Kevin Huerter recently had shoulder surgery, and none of their first-round picks are valuable given their playoff-contending status. Any scenario in which Ingram would go to Sacramento would almost certainly be a multi-team deal.