2. Best player available
One thing that can’t be overlooked is that Brandon Ingram may wind up being the best player available for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Ingram has been playing the best basketball of his career in New Orleans but the arrival of Zion Williamson could put his future with the franchise in jeopardy.
It’s obvious that the Pelicans are ready to go all-in on Williamson and nobody could blame them. Williamson;’s career is off to a historic start, putting up averages of 23.3 points and 7.1 rebounds across his first 13 games.
2️⃣0️⃣ points.
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) February 29, 2020
1️⃣0️⃣ straight games.
Just the beginning. pic.twitter.com/q5AHLiEulM
Left in the dust will be Ingram, who would be asked to take a smaller role alongside Williamson. It’s unclear how marginalized Ingram’s role will become but it seems the Pelicans could already preparing to hardball him during free agency.
According to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, most executives believe Ingram is not worth a max deal. Because of this, they question if David Griffin will challenge Ingram to receive a max offer from an outside team before officially matching the top offer.
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This is where the Cavaliers can step in. Swinging big for Ingram and making a gigantic offer would put the Pelicans on the hot seat. They would be forced to either match the Cavaliers or allow Ingram to walk in free agency.
Or, the Pelicans could orchestrate a sign and trade situation in order to cut their losses. Perhaps they will jump at the opportunity to acquire additional assets such as Collin Sexton, Cedi Osman or a draft pick.
The Pelicans could benefit from having a more offensive-oriented guard to pair with Williamson. Sexton fits this mold nicely as 19.9 points per game scorer and would thrive alongside a skilled playmaker such as Lonzo Ball.
However it might happen, there is no question that Ingram is the best player the Cavaliers could realistically acquire this summer.