New Orleans Pelicans: 5 roster moves to make this offseason

1. Re-sign Brandon Ingram

After three solid seasons with the Lakers, Ingram came into his own in his first season with the Pelicans. He averaged 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.0 steals in 33.9 minutes per game. All of these were career highs for the fourth-year veteran and first-time All-Star.

He was given the green light to shoot from deep, going at 39.1 percent on his 6.2 attempts per game. Ingram’s previous highest average for 3-point attempts was 2.4 per game in his rookie season. It is safe to say that coach Alvin Gentry unlocked the best in Ingram.

It is crucial for Ingram to sign again for the Pelicans because he adds a different dimension to the team. While he has a really good mid-range game, the Pelicans need him to space the floor for Williamson.

Ingram has the incredible ability to hurt the opposition on the scoreboard if his defender cheats off to help Williamson. The power forward is built in such a way that there are not many players who can defend him one on one, giving the Pelicans a tremendous double threat in the frontcourt.

Ingram is going to command a large salary as a restricted free agent. At this stage, the Pelicans only have $83 million in committed salary. However, they do have other key pieces that they need to sign for next season.