Late Wednesday night, the New Orleans Pelicans’ months-long exploration for a Brandon Ingram trade that made sense ended with a surprise destination: The former All-Star and Most Improved Player is going to the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors have only four more wins than the Pelicans this year, with both heading for the lottery, barring a massive late-season run in Toronto.
However, the Raptors see a future with Ingram, who is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. After nearly six seasons, the Pelicans did not.
To assess what the trade means for both teams, The Athletic’s Pelicans beat writer Will Guillory and Raptors beat writer Eric Koreen got together for a conversation.
Koreen: Will, I’m inspired to quote the 1996 cinematic masterpiece, “Happy Gilmore.” Ahem.
“I’m stupid. You’re smart. I was wrong. You were right. You’re the best. I’m the worst. You’re very good-looking. I’m not very attractive.”
While all of this might be true in general, it is especially true regarding this trade. In your piece Tuesday, you proposed a trade that would send Ingram to Toronto for Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk and the Indiana Pacers’ top-four-protected 2026 first-round pick. Part of my response was, and I quote again, “The Raptors say no.”
The Raptors do not say no. They said yes, even with an additional second-round pick heading to Crescent City. After I moved on from how wrong I was (an ongoing process) and the awkward timing for the Raptors, I started thinking about the pairing of Ingram and Scottie Barnes.
GO DEEPER
How does Brandon Ingram make sense for the Raptors’ rebuild?
Barnes and Zion Williamson are similar in that their games are based on getting into the paint. Williamson is a generational finisher at the rim, while Barnes is dangerous because of his playmaking. The point stands, though.
Injuries to both Ingram and Williamson were the main reasons the pairing fizzled in New Orleans. Had both reliably been available for 75 percent of Pelicans’ games, how dangerous would the tandem have been?
Also, what was your initial reaction to the trade beyond, “Well, that’s finally over.”
Guillory: My initial reaction was that I have a future working in a front office because I almost hit the trade right on the button. Upset I didn’t get more aggressive and throw in that second-round pick. I guess I learned from the school of Nico Harrison.
Ingram’s departure was obvious once the Pelicans handed Trey Murphy a four-year, $112 million extension. The big question was how soon the departure would come and would the Pelicans get any valuable assets back. Luckily for them, Toronto got aggressive and gave them a fair return.
Still, watching him leave the locker room for good Wednesday night in Denver felt like the end of an era. Watching him and Williamson embrace for the last time is an image that will stick in my mind.
I don’t think you’re wrong about Ingram’s fit with Barnes being similar to his fit with Williamson. I’d say Barnes has proven to be a much more impactful defender throughout his career, so that will take some pressure off Ingram.
Over the last two seasons, New Orleans has struggled to build strong defensive lineups when Ingram, Williamson and CJ McCollum were all on the floor together. That won’t be as much of an issue with Barnes and RJ Barrett flanking him on the wing.
To make his game fit better with Williamson, Ingram made a conscious effort to shoot more 3s this season. He went from shooting 35.4 on 3.9 attempts per game over the three previous seasons to shooting 37.4 percent on 6.4 attempts this season.
Ingram’s windup on his 3-ball can be a little slow with those long arms, but he’s fairly accurate when he shoots with confidence.
He’ll get plenty of those looks once he gets a chance to play next to Barnes, Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. Still, Ingram feels most comfortable when he has the ball in his hands and he can probe the defense with high pick-and-rolls or post-ups along the baseline.
His height and proficiency on tough fadeaways make him a tough cover in most one-on-one situations. But what I’ve come to appreciate most about his game is how much he’s grown as a playmaker. His court vision is much better than some people give him credit for and he’s had a lot of success as the primary ballhandler in New Orleans.
My question for you is how will the Raptors spread out all these ballhandling duties because Quickley and Barrett are most comfortable when they have the ball in their hands. Is there any concern over having too many chefs in the kitchen once this group finally comes together?
Koreen: Ah, the old “there’s only one ball.” It’s a fair one. In particular, I’m worried about how Barnes and Ingram work together.
Barnes’ 3-point shooting has not developed quickly. Having him on the second side too often does not make sense. Barnes is an excellent screener and good at playmaking off the roll. But they are not going to run 30 Ingram-Barnes pick-and-rolls per game. Jakob Poeltl is necessary for the defense, but having him out there cramps the offense. Ingram must keep his 3-point frequency at his pre-injury level, while Barrett is going to have to hoist more.
It could work, but the team will have to embrace ballhandling democracy. Barnes has to be involved in the main actions more than anyone because of the inconsistency of his jumper, but there the combinations will have to be varied and random. Barrett is at his best getting the ball when he is already on the go, so adding Ingram as another post threat who can pass is intriguing. The Raptors will have to make the finances work, but that’s a problem for tomorrow (or July).
There are two things I’d like further clarification on from you regarding Ingram. You mentioned his defense — what is his ceiling on that end? What can Raptors fans expect nightly? As well, you have documented his various injuries. To what degree has that been bad luck? Is there anything he or the team can do to avoid more time away?
Do you have any pressing Kelly Olynyk questions for me?
Guillory: When Ingram is locked in, he can be a good defender. He doesn’t have the most lateral quickness, but he’s got arms that go on forever and he doesn’t mind bumping with bigger guys in the paint.
The main issue for Ingram on defense — and as an overall player — is his inconsistency. Some nights, he looks amazing. Other nights, he tends to float. Maybe he’ll get caught sleeping on a back cut or he’ll forget to box out. His priority will always be on the offensive end, but it will be an interesting challenge for the Toronto coaching staff to make sure he stays focused on that end.
It will help that he has so much offensive talent around him that he won’t feel the pressure to carry the team every night.
As far as his injury history, I wouldn’t say there are any chronic issues to be worried about. He’s been out the last two months with a high-grade low ankle sprain that came because he landed awkwardly on the foot of Oklahoma City’s Lu Dort. Considering what happened in last year’s playoffs, I’m pretty sure Ingram would be happy if he never sees Dort again.
Previously, he’s dealt with a toe issue here or a hamstring there, but nothing lingering to this day. Some people within the Pelicans organization have grumbled in the past about Ingram tending to take his time when returning from injury. He doesn’t like to be out there unless he feels 100 percent.
For some fans, that can be annoying, especially when an ankle sprain turns into a two-month ordeal. To be fair to Ingram, he forced his way back after a left knee bone contusion last year so he could play in the playoffs, and he wasn’t himself during that first-round series against Oklahoma City.
As far as Olynyk goes, I think the big question for the Pels isn’t necessarily how much he can help them, but how much value he has around the league? In a perfect world, the Pels probably move him at some point in the summer to get more draft assets for the future, but that could change once — if? — he enters the building.
I know Olynyk and Brown have missed a lot of time this season due to injury, but they’ve been back on the court recently. Have they looked like the kind of role players contenders might be interested in pursuing down the line?
Kelly Olynyk started the season with an injury but has found his form of late. (John E. Sokolowski / Imagn Images)
Koreen: There were several people who thought OG Anunoby took his time when recovering from injuries, so at least Raptors fans should be familiar with that idea. I’m sure the discourse will be stellar. I’m going to sign up for another social media platform to take part in it.
It’s the timing and where the Raptors are that concerns me most from the team’s perspective, not Ingram himself. It will be interesting to see how he fits in. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Raptors encourage him to be 100 percent before he comes back, given they are still in prime lottery position.
Olynyk and Brown have been playing their best basketball of the year lately. After being traded to Toronto last January, Brown was dealing with a knee injury, and it continued to bother him until he finally had arthroscopic surgery in the summer. It took him a few weeks to find his rhythm, but he has started to look like the useful role player who can do a bit of everything.
Olynyk also started the season injured, with a back injury that popped up after the first preseason game. He missed 23 games to start the year, coming back the same day Ingram suffered his ankle injury. After a start that made me question whether he still had a role in the league, he picked up his play.
If that continues, maybe he will have some light value next deadline as an expiring contract. Unless he’s a part of a bigger deal, I don’t see contenders actively seeking him out in the offseason. Until then, you can expect creative passing, a solid shooter and problematic interior defense.
Do you have any final thoughts on Ingram’s time in New Orleans? What is next for the Pelicans? How happy are you that the deadline has passed?
Guillory: Ingram only made one All-Star game. He never made an All-NBA team. He never scored 50 points in a game. He was never considered an elite player at his position. But there’s no doubt in my mind that he’ll go down as one of the most beloved players in Pelicans franchise history.
People forget how toxic this franchise was when Anthony Davis forced his way out of town. Some people were questioning if the Pelicans should relocate because they’d never convince another star player to stay in New Orleans.
After Williamson’s rocky start to his rookie season, it only added to the drumbeat that New Orleans was a joke franchise.
Ingram’s impact in New Orleans was beyond anything he did on the court. What mattered most about his presence on this franchise was how enthusiastic he was in embracing the Pelicans organization. Coming off his first season with the team, he signed a max deal with no player option in the fifth season to send the message he was here for the long term. Despite all the turmoil and injury issues Williamson brought to the team, Ingram was the reliable young star the team could always trust to handle his business and bring a positive vibe to the locker room.
Last year’s 49-win team waxed poetic about the cohesion everyone felt in the locker room and it all started with Ingram’s commitment to his work and the organization.
Finding someone who embraced New Orleans in that way after Davis rejected them in such harsh terms will stick with many Pels fans forever.
Even on his way out the door, Ingram was always laughing in the locker room and lifting up his teammates.
Raptors fans are going to be frustrated at times with his shot selection or his slow recovery from injuries, but they’ll never have to worry about his commitment to the franchise or the relationships he’ll build with his teammates. He’s the exact kind of person you want in a locker room for a team that’s hoping to build a winning culture.
(Top photo: Chris Graythen / Getty Images)
