The New Orleans Pelicans have crucial decisions to make in the offseason, namely cementing a key pillar to their rebuild in Brandon Ingram.

According to ESPN's Andrew Lopez, the Pelicans view Ingram as a critical building block going forward. Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin told reporters last month he believes Ingram and Lonzo Ball, who they received in a trade package from the Los Angeles Lakers last season, both want to remain with the team.

Ball is extension-eligible after the season, while Ingram is set to be a restricted free agent after finishing his fourth season.

The Pelicans were gun-shy about signing Ingram to an extension after the lanky forward couldn't finish out the 2018-19 season due to a blood clot (deep vein thrombosis) in his arm.

A new opportunity away from the Hollywood limelight and an injury to rookie standout Zion Williamson gave Ingram the necessary runway to shine as a potent scorer, quickly winning over Griffin and the rest of the Pelicans' brass.

New Orleans will have to pay for that gamble, as other teams are expected to show interest in the 22-year-old, who's averaging a beefy 24.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists this season. The Pelicans will be able to match any offer thrown Ingram's way, or they could simply agree to a new deal at the start of free agency.

Ingram's outside scoring has also picked up from a down season, as his 38.7% clip from deep will greatly aid this retooling effort until Williamson is able to make his jumpers consistently.

Already a first-time All-Star, it's only a matter of time before Ingram cashes in that vote of confidence into hundreds of millions of dollars. He'll have a chance to improve his stock even more during the upcoming NBA restart at Walt Disney World.