(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
When the Los Angeles Lakers selected forward Brandon Ingram with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, the storied franchise brought him in expecting that he’d become the new face of the franchise in the post-Kobe Bryant era.
Ingram showed he had all the tools to be an elite scorer in the NBA while spending some time at Duke under legendary head coach Mike Krzyzewski and even got a lot of comparisons to future Hall of Famer and two-time NBA champion Kevin Durant.
However, Ingram’s future was not meant to be in Los Angeles, as the franchise got anxious and wanted to be a title contender sooner rather than later after signing LeBron James in 2018, meaning Ingram was trade bait and the main piece sent to the New Orleans Pelicans to land Anthony Davis.
Starting over in New Orleans was considered a good move for Ingram as it would be his team, or at least he’d be one of the stars on the squad once Zion Williamson came to town.
Now, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic via Legion Hoops, Ingram could be on his way out of New Orleans because he hasn’t exactly lived up to expectations and is asking for a very high number per season in a new deal.
Brandon Ingram is seeking $45-50M per year in a new contact extension, per @ShamsCharania
(h/t @PatMcAfeeShow) pic.twitter.com/fNPHuch9qc
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) August 6, 2024
The Pelicans wanted to trade Ingram this summer because the team thought he wasn’t worth the money they’d have to pay him to keep him in New Orleans playing alongside Williamson and CJ McCollum.
With the trade market said to be “limited” for Ingram’s services, the veteran forward signing a new deal with the Pelicans may be inevitable, making him very wealthy.
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