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The New Orleans Pelicans are trading All-Star forward Brandon Ingram to the Toronto Raptors for Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, a first-round pick, and a second-round pick, which was first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN.
This first-round pick going to New Orleans is the Indiana Pacers' 2026 pick acquired by Toronto in their Pascal Siakam trade from the 2023-24 season. It now goes to the Pelicans with top-four protections attached.
Ingram, 27, had become a hot topic of trade conversations around the NBA in the week leading up to the NBA trade deadline. He was also a key name mentioned in trade rumors connected to the Golden State Warriors before a deal for Jimmy Butler was reached.
Both the Raptors and Atlanta Hawks had ramped up their efforts to acquire the All-Star wing before the trade deadline despite the fact that he has not played for New Orleans since Dec. 7 due to a severe ankle sprain.
With Scottie Barnes emerging as one of the better all-around talents in the league, executive Masai Ujiri and Toronto's front office became determined to find a suitable second scoring option alongside him. Ingram emerged as the top target for the Raptors, especially since the organization was looking for ways to move Bruce Brown's expiring contract for immediate value.
Ingram, who has averaged at least 20 points per game each of the last five seasons, instantly raises the overall potential of a young Raptors team with an established core of Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, and RJ Barrett.
In a total of 18 games this season with the Pelicans, Ingram averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game while shooting 46.5 percent from the floor and 37.4 percent from three-point range.
The main reason why the Pelicans ramped up their efforts to find a new home for Ingram before the trade deadline is due to the fact that his tenure in New Orleans was nearing an end.
After failing to negotiate a contract extension before the start of the 2024-25 season, Ingram and the Pelicans began to drift apart. New Orleans had been searching for a suitor willing to trade for Ingram this season, and the Raptors instantly became the clear choice over the last week.
Ujiri and the Raptors will look to secure Ingram's future with a new contract to make him one of the focal points of the organization for the next several years next to Barnes. Toronto is currently 16-35 this season after losing 138-107 on Wednesday night to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Although Ujiri and head coach Darko Rajakovic have always preached patience in the midst of a rebuild, the Raptors are expediting this process by trading for Ingram at a cheaper price than many would have imagined a few years back.
The 2019-20 NBA Most Improved Player will now head north and embark on a new journey as one of the veteran leaders of a young Raptors team with a lot of potential for immediate growth.
