LeBron James sent shockwaves reverberating throughout the NBA when it was announced late Sunday night that he was accepting the Los Angeles Lakers $154 million offer for four years and leave behind the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team he returned to in 2014.
It was believed that he would make an announcement on which team he wanted to play for in the first week of July. But no one expected it to be this early.
With Paul George announcing his desire to re-sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder on July 1, it seemed to put James’ own announcement on hold until the Lakers could find a suitable superstar to pair with him.
Apparently, James saw enough potential with the current roster that he didn’t need any other superstar free agent to sign with the Lakers ahead of him. Or perhaps he already sees a certain player as a star in L.A. from among the young studs in its lineup. Who could that be? That star may well be none other than the Lakers no. 2 pick from the 2016 NBA Draft—Brandon Ingram.
Rookie Year
Ingram was supposed to be the next great player drafted by the Purple and Gold and he was expected to be a star from the beginning. But it took a while for the Duke alum to get accustomed to playing in the pros, showing only flashes of brilliance here and there but struggling for much of his rookie season. He averaged a measly 9.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists. He also shot 30.2 percent from the field including an atrocious 29.4 percent from 3-point range. Despite this, Ingram was good enough to be named to the NBA’s All-Rookie Second Team.
Sophomore Season
His second year in the league was much better. Despite playing in only 59 games because of injuries, Ingram showed his potential was finally being tapped last March. He averaged 18.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.6 assists during the month. As for his shooting percentages, Ingram shot the ball extremely well from the floor with a sizzling 54.5 percent including 52.2 percent on threes.
This kind of production from the second-year forward could be a preview of his potential to become a star in this league for years to come. In his two years in the league, he has not had a high-profile teammate who plays at or near the level of James who will demand more consistency from Ingram. The new King of L.A. will make him and his teammates work harder than they have ever worked before. With James setting the example, Ingram has no choice but to do as the new sheriff says and does both on and off the court. And that’s a good thing.
Trading Ingram (and others) for Kawhi Leonard
After the revelation that Kawhi Leonard wanted out of the San Antonio Spurs and deciding instead that he wants to play for his hometown Lakers, the two teams discussed different trade scenarios that would allow the two-time Defensive Player of the Year to rock the Purple and Gold.
However, the talks bogged down before they were revived again last week.
It is believed that one of the players that the Spurs are interested in acquiring in exchange for Leonard is the 6-foot-9 Ingram. However, the Lakers have not offered him in a trade proposal so far according to Los Angeles Times beat writer Tania Ganguli.
There's also a difference between being willing to include him and actually making an offer that includes him. When push comes to shove, would they trade Ingram if that's what it took to get Leonard? I believe so.
— Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) June 29, 2018
That speaks to how highly the Lakers brass thinks of Ingram and his potential to be a star down the line. It remains to be seen, however, if they will include him in any deal for Leonard in the future. But Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson is in no rush to make a trade for the Spurs forward now that they have James in tow.
Had James requested that L.A. acquire a current superstar first before he considered their offer, it’s quite possible that the Lakers would have gutted their roster to make a deal with the Spurs happen.
One of those players could have been Ingram. George, one of their offseason targets, quickly announced that he was returning to the OKC as soon as free agency started last weekend.
Panic mode could have set in on the Lakers’ front office to trade for Leonard immediately but Sports Illustrated’s Lee Jenkins reported that James dispelled that feeling.
“James explained that he was in no rush, even at 33, and did not have a problem being the first headliner through the door. He wants to build a contender that lasts and believes the Lakers possess the recruiters, the assets and the salary cap space to do it.”
Now, all the only feeling that the Lakers have is relief coupled with a sense of urgency to surround James with complementary players without maiming their young and talented lineup.
Comparing Ingram and Leonard
If you looked at Ingram and Leonard’s stats side-by-side after their first and second years in the league, it’s easy to believe that Ingram has the advantage over his Spurs forward counterpart. Leonard averaged 7.9 points per game in his rookie year before bumping that up to just a few points with 11.9 in his sophomore season.
The clear advantages that the Spurs’ franchise player had over the Lakers’ young stud were his field goal shooting, which was almost at 50 percent in his first two seasons, and his defense where he averaged more than a steal and a block each season.
However, one must also take into account that Leonard was surrounded by great players in Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili during that time. Ingram has never had a single teammate who is a surefire Hall of Famer in the future.
James changes that.
By next season, we could see Ingram grow even further, and maybe even someday supplant Leonard as the best two-way player in the league.
James and Ingram
With James in a Lakers uniform, there is no longer a gaping hole in leadership on the floor. There’s LeBron and then everyone else falls in line after him. His second-in-command could well be Ingram from among a group of youngsters that includes Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart. Julius Randle, a restricted free agent, may or may not rejoin the team but the hope is that James’ presence on the Lakers will make the fourth-year forward want to return.
Ingram is the player that James will likely rely on most to provide leadership, scoring and defense. The four-time MVP will allow Ingram to play off him and establish himself as a secondary threat on the offensive end while developing his defensive skills by guarding the other teams’ best wing player.
Next season will be the test for the soon-to-be third-year player and will determine his worthiness to be the next great Lakers star. If last season was any indication, it looks like James may have a superstar in the making on the roster after all.
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