It wouldn't be an NBA season without the Los Angeles Lakers being linked to at least one star, but this particular star has already played for the Lakers before. New Orleans Pelicans All-Star Brandon Ingram is in the last year of his contract, and it is becoming increasingly clear that he won't be back with his team next season.
That makes the odds that he will be traded prior to the February 6th deadline very high, and while there don't appear to be many takers, the Lakers were just recently mentioned as a possible team.
It makes sense in that you can talk yourself into an AD-Ingram-Reaves “maintain respectability!” core as you attempt to figure out post-Bron life.
— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) December 7, 2024
I still wouldn’t do this though. Seems like something they’d do for fear of rebuilding. Wouldn’t address the present issues much. https://t.co/1TauNgnBwq
Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer mentioned that the general consensus is that the Lakers may look to trade for Ingram, and that may make sense on some level. Ingram's trade value appears to be surprisingly low given that teams don't appear interested in having to offer him a big contract in the summer by trading for him.
Rather than risk losing him for nothing, the Pelicans could take what they can get, and a reasonable offer might be enough to snag him. Nevertheless, the Lakers should be iffy about bringing him back.
Ingram is known as a talented scorer but has also struggled to stay healthy, often missing at least 20 games a season. While his fit with the Pelicans hasn't been ideal, he could theoretically thrive on another team but perhaps not with the Lakers.
The Lakers risk making the same frustrating mistake by reportedly targeting Brandon Ingram.
If Los Angeles believes that he can be a stopgap post LeBron, then, from that perspective, he might be, but a core of Anthony Davis and Ingram probably isn't a playoff team unless they have a third star, and that may be hard to come by.
Fewer stars are demanding trades, and even fewer are hitting free agency, with most agreeing to extensions before they get to that point. Nevertheless, the Lakers bringing him back would mean that they could be repeating major mistakes of the past.
The Lakers already had Ingram for several seasons before including him in the deal to acquire Davis. That deal netted the Lakers a top-15 player and resulted in them winning a championship and an NBA Cup. Despite that, they overpaid for him, and they are still paying for that deal now.
The Pelicans had the Lakers 2025 first but traded it to the Atlanta Hawks in the DeJounte Murray trade. Without that pick, the Lakers have been limited in the number of first-round picks that they can move, making deals harder.
To reacquire Ingram, L.A. would likely have to give up another first. If they give up Rui Hachimura, D'Angelo Russell, Jalen Hood-Schifino, and a 2029 top 3 protected first, then the players would matter less than the pick.
The pick should be a major sticking point, with the Lakers essentially paying a premium for the right to pay for a flawed star. Ingram also probably wouldn't raise their ceiling and would only serve as an expensive stopgap post-LeBron; therefore, they should pass on a chance to reunite with him.