Brandon Ingram's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram will not play in the team's first preseason game on Monday against the Orlando Magic. Head coach Willie Green confirmed that this decision is not injury related, it was actually a "collective decision" that he wouldn't play. At this point, it seems like it's more of a game to get a feel for some of the others on the team. There could be an underlying story here, but there haven't been any reports or rumors to suggest that right now. On unofficial depth charts, Ingram is still listed as a starting forward, but he's been the center of trade rumors for a couple of seasons now. His status will be something to monitor going into their second game on Friday.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram has been one of the bigger dominoes in the early goings of this offseason. At first, there were reports that the Pelicans were unlikely to offer him a max contract. Now, it seems the team is trying to get a deal done, but they are prepared to search the trade market if they don't get a deal done that is friendly for both sides. The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the teams interested in a trade as they search for a third star to pair with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Other teams mentioned are the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks, but they would have more hoops to jump through in terms of contract numbers. According to Jake Fischer, one team that could emerge as a trade suitor is the Sacramento Kings who are looking to upgrade from Kevin Huerter and Harrison Barnes.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram is reportedly eager to remain on the team. "Brandon wants to stay here," said Pelicans president David Griffin during his post-draft availability. "He believes in what we're building. That's meaningful to us. It's meaningful to him. I think it's meaningful to his agent. At the same time, there's a financial reality that we all deal with." We could still see Ingram in a new uniform next season because the Pelicans aren't willing to offer him a max extension. He is eligible for a four-year, $208 million deal. Ingram's health issues -- he has played 60-plus games just three times since his rookie year -- and playoff struggles make him a risky investment for New Orleans.