This offseason, one of the most-talked about players in the NBA was New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram. From trade rumors to contract extensions, there has been a lot of chatter about what the future is going to hold for Ingram. 

Despite all the speculation in the offseason thus far, Ingram is still on the Pelicans, but is without a new contract. New Orleans would likely want to keep Ingram for the right price, but a max contract might be too steep for his level of production so far. 

Depending on how the season goes, it will determine a lot of what the plan is going to be for the Pelicans. As of now, New Orleans appears like they are going to try and contend in the Western Conference with the addition of Dejounte Murray this offseason. 

Recently, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report made a case for the Pelicans to put the trade rumors to bed and keep Ingram around. 

“Ingram might not be the perfect on-court complement to Zion Williamson, but that’s still a super-talented twosome. This roster has plenty of talent, too (yes, even with that glaring hole at the center spot). Surrounding Ingram and Williamson with Jones, Murphy and Dejounte Murray would give New Orleans tons of firepower and plenty of flexibility. Should the Pelicans go with that as their starting group, C.J. McCollum might immediately become the Sixth Man of the Year favorite.”

“A healthy Ingram who finds his footing within a multi-creator offense is a really valuable piece. Given how quiet his market has been, it’s hard to imagine New Orleans would trade for an upgrade.”

Considering the Pelicans made the move to get Murray from the Atlanta Hawks this offseason, it makes sense to see what the addition of him can bring to the team. New Orleans knows that the Western Conference is going to be very competitive, but they could have a good regular season with their trio being young. 

For Ingram, the Pelicans are going to have to make a decision on what to do with him soon, but that decision doesn’t have to be made before they can see a good sample size of their new roster. 

If the trio of Ingram, Murray and Zion Williamson looks good, paying Ingram long-term might be the right decision. Furthermore, taking Ingram off the trade block makes the most sense for New Orleans as of now.