In life, you’ve got to have your priorities. You need to know what’s important to you. The same holds true for the NBA’s general managers. Pick a GM, and they’ll have their own set of priorities.
Some see the NBA through a championship-or-bust lens. They’re not interested in making moves that won’t eventually lead to serious title contention. Sometimes, that means tanking. Some GMs are willing to lose for years for the chance to draft a player who can help them eventually win big.
Other GMs prefer to stay competitive. For a long time, that’s how the Indiana Pacers have operated. This team doesn’t like to tank – they’re happy to be good, even if it makes it more difficult to eventually be great. With that in mind, could they acquire Brandon Ingram from the New Orleans Pelicans?
The Trade Proposal
New Orleans Pelicans Receive: G/F Buddy Hield, F/C Daniel Theis, G TJ McConnell, 2026 First-Round Pick (IND), 2028 First-Round Pick (IND), 2030 First-Round Pick (IND)
Indiana Pacers Receive: F Brandon Ingram
With that said, every team doesn’t have the luxury of tanking – or, at least, it’s less tenable for some than others. Being in a big market helps. A team that knows it can afford to take a short-term financial hit if it means more money down the road is in a fortunate position.
The Pacers can’t necessarily afford that hit. Indiana is a basketball state. Pacers fans are as diehard as any in the NBA. Still, they’re not huge in number. The Pacers don’t tank because they need to keep their arena full. Perhaps that’s why they’re almost always a good team.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Brandon Ingram, New Orleans Pelicans & Indiana Pacers Updates
On the other hand, the Pacers are seldom title contenders. They had a chance under Reggie Miller, and a prayer under Paul George. Otherwise, the Pacers have mostly fielded scrappy teams who will win, but won’t win big. Would adding Ingram lead to any other outcome?
Why The Indiana Pacers Do The Deal
It could. This could be one of the more talented Pacers teams we’ve ever seen. They’d be adding Ingram to a core already featuring Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner. The offensive pairing between Haliburton and Ingram is especially enticing. Haliburton is a born playmaker, while Ingram is more of a natural scorer.
Are the Pacers paying a hefty sum here? Sure. Three unprotected first-round picks will not go unnoticed. On the other hand, there’s plenty of young talent on this team already. Haliburton is still developing, and Ingram is young enough to improve too. Meanwhile, the Pacers have Jarace Walker, Benedict Mathurin, and others on this roster.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Brandon Ingram, New Orleans Pelicans & Indiana Pacers Updates
If Halliburton and Ingram click, they could even move some of those young players for another big piece. This deal has the Pacers accelerating their rebuild. Typically, that’s a route that this organization likes to take. Should the Pelicans help them take that route?
Why The New Orleans Pelicans Do The Deal
The Pelicans have some soul-searching to do. Ingram has some health concerns, but they’re minor. Unfortunately, they’re more significant alongside Zion Williamson. Given his frequent status on the injury report, the Pelicans are built on far too flimsy of a foundation.
This is an opportunity to reset. More than anything, the Pelicans should be happy to land three unprotected first-rounders. They’d be adding those picks to an already impressive collection. This deal would put New Orleans in an optimal position to make a big trade if they wanted to make one.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Brandon Ingram, New Orleans Pelicans & Indiana Pacers Updates
In the meantime, it shouldn’t require them to tank either. The Pelicans are adding three rotation pieces here. Hield is an especially useful one as an elite movement shooter – and he’s on an expiring contract. All told, there’s enough incentive here for the Pelicans to make a deal – depending on their priorities, of course.
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