One NBA writer believes the Charlotte Hornets should try to trade for New Orleans Pelicans All-Star small forward Brandon Ingram this summer.
Dan Favale of Bleacher Report named Ingram the Hornets’ most “ambitious trade target.”
“Holding onto the No. 2 pick is the safest play for the Charlotte Hornets. They aren’t nearly good enough to aggressively go the win-now route,” Favale wrote. “And yet, the clock is ticking. LaMelo Ball is bound to get a max extension this summer. P.J. Washington should receive a handsome payday in restricted free agency. Miles Bridges, who must serve the balance of a 30-game suspension for pleading no contest to felony domestic violence charges, is still up for a new contract, as well. Charlotte has already paid Terry Rozier, too. It isn’t some rebuilding squad without urgency. Prioritizing the bigger picture would take a fundamental shift in organizational operations.”
Ingram is one of the top players in the NBA. The Duke product averaged 24.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists this season for the Pelicans while shooting 48.4% from the floor, 39.0% from beyond the arc and 88.2% from the free-throw line.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Brandon Ingram, New Orleans Pelicans & Charlotte Hornets Updates
The Hornets need more talent around All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball, who averaged 23.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 8.4 assists this season. Charlotte won only 27 games in 2022-23 despite Ball putting up good numbers.
A dynamic duo of Ball and Ingram could be what the Hornets need to get back into the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
“Packaging the No. 2 pick in a deal for Brandon Ingram would represent the best of both worlds,” Favale wrote. “The Hornets not only get a star wing who can self-create and table-set, but he doesn’t turn 26 until September. This is a move that juggles present and future. Will the New Orleans Pelicans engage on proposals built around the No. 2 pick? It’s tough to say.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Brandon Ingram, New Orleans Pelicans & Charlotte Hornets Updates
Ingram has career averages of 19.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists with the Los Angeles Lakers and Pelicans.
Want the latest in NBA analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click Here. Follow NBA Analysis Network on Twitter and Facebook.
