Cavaliers could pursue Brandon Ingram this summer

Ingram is expected to be on the trade market this summer.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram is expected to be on the trade market this summer. And the Cleveland Cavaliers could be among the teams interested.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein via his Stein Line newsletter, there is a “growing belief leaguewide that Pelicans will aggressively explore the trade market for Brandon Ingram before next season.” Four teams Stein writes that have already been mentioned as possibly interested in Ingram: The Cavs, the Philadelphia 76ers, the Atlanta Hawks, and the Orlando Magic.

From Stein’s report ($):

Ingram is entering the final year of his contract next season at $36 million and is eligible for a four-year contract extension this summer worth up to $208 million. The Pelicans, remember, already appear to have a strong potential successor on the roster to Ingram thanks to the presence of Trey Murphy III.

Fit concerns about the games of Ingram, CJ McCollum and star forward Zion Williamson persist in New Orleans despite the Pelicans’ 49-33 record this season. A handful of Eastern Conference teams (Philadelphia, Cleveland, Atlanta and Orlando) have already been mentioned as potential trade suitors for Ingram.

Ingram, 26, has been in the league in the NBA since the 2016-17 NBA season and has played for the Pelicans and the Los Angeles Lakers. Last season, he averaged 20.8 points per game and 5.7 assists while shooting 49.2% from the field, 35.5% from three, and 80.1% on free throws. He is a one-time NBA All-Star and won the league’s Most Improved Player award in 2020.

If the Cavs were to go down this path — and right now, that’s still an if — this would mark the organization moving in a different direction. Ingram is heading into the last year of his current contract and is due $36 million. For Cleveland to trade for him, they’d need to match with high-salary players of their own (Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert fits math-wise, for instance) and/or trade one of their current core pieces (Allen, Darius Garland, etc.) because they don’t have picks to sweeten any other deals. They’d likely need to figure out an extension with Ingram upon trading for him too. (Or, in all reality, be sure Ingram would sign one before trading for him.)

To trade for Ingram would mean adjusting the plan. Which maybe isn’t a bad thing. It also could be demanded by where Donovan Mitchell wants to play basketball. Expect to revisit this when the NBA season ends and the offseason fully ramps up.