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New Orleans Pelicans star forward Brandon Ingram could make sense for the New York Knicks this offseason should he become available for trade. Ingram could fit the Knicks’ need for another primary ball handler and also has plenty of chemistry with some of the personnel on Broadway.
Brandon Ingram could reunite with Julius Randle and Josh Hart
Ingram spent the first three seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Lakers, where current Knicks stars Julius Randle and Josh Hart also donned the purple and gold. Ingram wasn’t the player he is known as now during his time with the Lakers, averaging just 13.9 points per game in his three seasons with the team. In 2019, both Ingram and Hart were traded together to the New Orleans Pelicans. Hart would share the court with Ingram until 2022, when he was dealt to the Portland Trailblazers, eventually landing with the Knicks the following season.
The trio have seen their career paths go in different directions since their days as plucky, young Lakers. Ingram has since blossomed into a star-level scorer with the Pelicans, making the All-Star team, and winning the NBA’s Most Improved Player award in 2020. Ingram has averaged 23.1 points per game in his five seasons in New Orleans, nearly a 10-point rise from his scoring average with the Lakers. Randle has transformed his career into the All-NBA talent he is today as a member of the Knicks, and Hart has found a home with New York as an integral part of the team’s identity.
Could the former Lakers trio be reunited in The Big Apple?
It could be possible that the former young Lakers trio of Ingram, Hart, and Randle could be reunited as members of the Knicks. New York is expected to aggressively pursue upgrades for their roster after a very successful 50-win season in 2024. Ingram is in the final year of a five-year deal he signed with New Orleans, making roughly $36 million next season. If the Pelicans are unable to reach an extension with Ingram, they could look to trade him so as not to lose him for nothing in free agency in 2025.
Ingram could give the Knicks a truly unstoppable offense
Ingram could potentially make sense for the Knicks, the team’s wing depth was tested mightily this past season, forcing Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo, and OG Anunoby to log substantial amounts of minutes. Standing at 6-foot-8, Ingram gives the Knicks a dynamic three-level scorer who can create his own shot, taking a massive offensive burden off of Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle. With OG Anunoby’s impending free agency, bolstering the team’s wing depth could be key for the Knicks in the worst-case scenario that they are unable to retain Anunoby.
How would Ingram fit?
The question comes as to how Ingram would fit into the Knicks lineup. Does Anunoby play shooting guard if he returns? What happens with DiVincenzo? How will Ingram fit alongside Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle? These are questions that the Knicks brass will have to answer if they consider a trade for Ingram.
With Ingram set to hit free agency after next season, it is possible that the Knicks choose to wait until then to pursue him. The team will weigh all of their options in terms of upgrading the roster ahead of next season, where the Knicks will enter the season as potential NBA title contenders.
