Chances are running out for the Los Angeles Lakers to make a splash during the 2024 NBA offseason.

That door hasn’t completely closed, though.

There are still stars (or near-stars) on the trade market, and the Lakers still have the trade resources needed to make a formidable offer for one. It’s also late enough into the offseason calendar that trade costs could’ve come down by now.

That appears to be the case with former Laker (and 2019-20 All-Star) Brandon Ingram. His trade market “is currently limited,” per The Athletic’s Shams Charania, who noted that two of Ingram’s suitors, the Sacramento Kings and San Antonio Spurs, had already filled their needs at the forward spots with DeMar DeRozan and Harrison Barnes, respectively.

Other would-be suitors might be scared off of Ingram for the same reason that the New Orleans Pelicans are willing to discuss dealing him. He needs a new contract between now and next summer, and if Ingram gets his wish, it will be colossal. NBA insider Marc Stein recently reported the Pelicans and Ingram’s camp have both searched for teams willing to acquire him and give him a max extension.

So far, those searches have come up empty. It’s possible they’ll continue being dry given the league’s new economic environment.

The collective bargaining agreement’s restrictions have forced a lot of teams to look closer at their finances than perhaps ever before. Through this more disciplined lens, Ingram isn’t an obvious max-contract candidate. He’s had availability issues (the 64 games he played this season were the most since his rookie year) and production lines that registered more like really good than great.

His close to the most recent campaign didn’t leave the best impression, either. A knee injury sidelined him for multiple weeks late in the season, and when he returned, he clearly wasn’t himself. In four playoff games, he averaged 14.3 points on 34.5/25/89.5 shooting and only 3.3 assists in 36.3 minutes.

All of these items have contributed to Ingram’s depressed market. They also could create a situation in which L.A. might acquire an in-prime former All-Star at a discounted rate.

Granted, the Lakers could feel the financial squeeze of a trade at some point, but the actual transaction cost to get Ingram out of New Orleans shouldn’t be absurd.

An offer built around Rui Hachimura and D’Angelo Russell would get L.A. close enough where only a minimum contract (like Christian Wood or Cam Reddish) would be needed to make the deal work financially. The Lakers could also craft something around Hachimura, Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt if Russell held up the deal for either side.

They’d still need a sweetener to get across the finish line, but they shouldn’t have to use both of the future firsts they’re able to trade (2029 and 2031). If they could get that down to one first with at least a tiny bit of protection on it, that might be something that works for both sides.

Just like that, the Lakers would have their third star to slot alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis in hopes of making another run at the throne.

Ingram, whom the Lakers drafted second overall in 2016, could immediately assume significant responsibilities as a scorer and playmaker. Since the start of 2021-22, he has averaged better than 22 points and five assists. Only 17 other players across the Association can claim the same, per StatHead Basketball.

Ingram might not be a tier-one superstar, but he is a tremendous talent who could give gobs of efficient offense to a team in need of an offensive jolt. He could take creation pressure off of James, create scoring chances for Davis and provide some late-clock bail-out buckets of his own.

Paying Ingram long-term could be tricky down the line, but the Lakers are following the lead of a 39-year-old James. This isn’t the time to worry about down-the-line dollars.

Broker a relatively bargain-priced blockbuster trade for Ingram, and a healthy L.A. team could have at least a fighting chance of escaping the West.