Current New Orleans Pelicans star Brandon Ingram was once an up-and-comer as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. However, Ingram was then traded from Los Angeles to New Orleans in the same deal that saw superstar power forward Anthony Davis make his way from the Pelicans to the Lakers in order to team up with another superstar forward in LeBron James.
While Ingram appears to be thriving down in New Orleans both on the court and financially, the former Los Angeles standout has since opened up about how the now infamous trade highlighted by the aforementioned Davis tore apart the Lakers' young core before it was even officially executed.
“I know other guys around me, it killed them every day,” Ingram recently said about the past Lakers on the Old Man and the Three Podcast. “When you wake up and you see your name on Twitter, and the guys around me, they love Twitter. They love searching, putting in their names.”
In addition to Ingram, guard Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart were also traded from the Lakers to the Pelicans with future NBA Draft picks also changing directions.
With the trio of Ingram, Ball and Hart departing Los Angeles, forward Kyle Kuzma not only remained with the Lakers but even received a lucrative contract extension this past offseason.
Making matters worse for those currently in New Orleans, Kuzma helped Davis and James in the Lakers' most recent quest for a NBA title as Los Angeles was crowned as champions as a result of the 2019-20 campaign.
The Pelicans are trying to build something with Brandon Ingram. A lot of natural ability exists on the Pelicans' youthful roster, but this is part of a long-term building process whose fruits won't be seen — at least not in full — for the next few NBA seasons. The Lakers are in win-now mode, but the Pelicans are trying to establish a foundation for the future.
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