Would this trade make sense for the Cleveland Cavaliers?
For the Cleveland Cavaliers, this trade would signal that they are committing to their current young core of Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley. Adding Brandon Ingram to the mix would cement those four as the main pillars of the franchise for the immediate future and beyond.
Cleveland is already one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, and while their offense isn’t bad, Ingram would help take it to the next level. Having an elite, efficient scorer on the perimeter would help change the entire dynamic of their offense.
Collin Sexton is a sparkplug scorer, but he’s nowhere near as efficient as Ingram. Plus, the backcourt of Garland and Sexton clearly had its limitations. The Cavs wouldn’t run into that issue with Ingram, as he plays an entirely different position.
A starting lineup of Garland, Isaac Okoro, Ingram, Mobley, and Allen sounds dominant. That starting five would be giving other Eastern Conference teams nightmares for the next five to ten years. It has a great balance of both offense and defense.
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Losing Collin Sexton and Lauri Markkanen hurts, but Ingram is just such a clear upgrade. They would still have other depth pieces such as Cedi Osman and Kevin Love, too. But would the New Orleans Pelicans be willing to make this deal?