1 Wild Brandon Ingram NBA Trade Idea That Actually Works

Sources told ESPN's Tim MacMahon and Bobby Marks at the end of December that sussing out a Brandon Ingram trade ahead of his foray into 2025 free agency is "the priority" for the New Orleans Pelicans front office.

Let's go ahead and lend a helping hand.

We must keep a few things in mind before we proceed. First and foremost, the market for Ingram is not reflective of a 27-year-old with an All-Star appearance under his belt. If it were, he would already be on another team.

Ingram's pending free agency only complicates matters. He previously sought a four-year max extension worth a projected $207.8 million. Interested teams must be prepared to pay him that or somewhere in the ballpark of it, or they need to have no issue attempting to let a cap-space-poor market coax him into accepting way less.

Equally important: The 2024-25 regular season is more than halfway over. And Ingram has not played since Dec. 7 because of a left ankle injury. If there was ever a time New Orleans could bag a king's ransom for his services, it isn't now.

With this in mind, let's cook up a three-team blockbuster and break it down from every angle.

Bulls Get:

• Brandon Ingram
• Wendell Moore Jr.
• 2027 second-round pick (less favorable from Brooklyn Nets or Dallas Mavericks, via Detroit) 

Pistons Get:

• Torrey Craig (via minimum exception)
• Zach LaVine
• Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (via minimum exception)

Pelicans Get:

• Simone Fontecchio
• Tim Hardaway Jr.
• Marcus Sasser
• Toronto's 2025 second-round pick (via Detroit)

• 2028 second-round pick (less favorable from Charlotte Hornets or Los Angeles Clippers, via Detroit)

In: Brandon Ingram, Wendell Moore Jr., 2027 second-round pick (less favorable from Brooklyn or Dallas)

Out: Torrey Craig, Zach LaVine

The Chicago Bulls should be invested in opening up financial flexibility while ensuring the top-10-protected 2025 first-round pick that they owe to San Antonio stays in the Windy City. But their front office's history is littered with a long line of bizarre decisions. Chicago could very well be intent on preserving or advancing its place in the middle.

Acquiring Ingram would do a little of everything.

Landing his expiring contract would get the Bulls out from the final two years and $95 million of LaVine's deal. It also would help maximize this season's lottery odds. LaVine is having the better year, and Ingram's continued absence removes another capable weapon from the rotation for at least a bit, if not indefinitely.

Chicago's view of Ingram's utility is the key. Executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas must consider him a fringe-star keeper whom the Bulls can re-sign or someone for whom they can extract real value in a sign-and-trade over the summer.

Failing that, Chicago must be smitten with the salary relief that Ingram's expiring contract provides. If it isn't keen on either of these angles, the deal becomes a tougher sell without getting a better young player or draft pick.

In: Torrey Craig, Zach LaVine, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl

Out: Tim Hardaway Jr., Wendell Moore Jr., Marcus Sasser, Toronto's 2025 second-round pick, 2027 second-round pick (less favorable from Dallas or Brooklyn), 2028 second-round pick (less favorable from Charlotte or L.A. Clippers)

Even with a healthy Jaden Ivey, the Detroit Pistons needed another ball-handler who could pitch in alongside and independent of Cade Cunningham. The urgency to get one should be greater after Ivey suffered a left leg injury that required surgery and will likely sideline him for the season.

LaVine fits the overall bill—and then some. He ranks inside the 93rd percentile of catch-and-shoot three-point shot-making as well as the 99th percentile of self-created shot-making, according to BBall Index. His rim pressure remains decidedly above-average for his position, and although he's not a caps-lock PLAYMAKER, he packs enough punch to improve lineups without Cunningham, which rank in the 17th percentile of offensive efficiency.

Certain teams will shy away from LaVine's pay grade. The Pistons shouldn't be one of them. His contract will be off the books before all of their youngsters have the chance to get super expensive. More than that, opportunities to acquire an All-Star type without forking over a future first-rounder don't come around very often.

Oh, also: Craig is someone who can actually play for Detroit. And it may even have the leverage to get New Orleans to sub out JRE with Javonte Green.

In: Simone Fontecchio, Tim Hardaway Jr., Marcus Sasser, Toronto's 2025 second-round pick, 2028 second-round pick (less favorable from Charlotte or L.A. Clippers)

Out: Brandon Ingram, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl

Failing to procure a first-round pick for Ingram's services can be seen as a failure by the Pelicans. But this presumes that first-rounders are out there.

Perhaps the Pelicans are fine letting this situation spill into the summer and pursuing sign-and-trade scenarios. That's risky. So is paying him. We already know Ingram isn't a good fit for any New Orleans iteration that views Zion Williamson as its central building block, and there's no guarantee that he'll be more moveable on his next contract.

Loading up on shooting while getting out of the luxury tax and adding two intriguing second-rounders is a fair return under the circumstances. The Raptors pick, in particular, is a fringe first-rounder. If the season ended today, it would land at No. 34.

Meanwhile, Sasser is 24 years old and has two seasons left on his rookie-scale deal. He is overtaxed as a point guard and is undersized as an off-guard at 6'2". But he's shown real shooting and driving abilities.

Though Fontecchio's outside shooting percentage has dipped, he provides size and functional off-ball shooting for a Pelicans squad light on both. THJ continues to let 'er rip and would be a no-risk acquisition with his contract coming off the books this summer.

Dan Favale covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter (@danfavale), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes.

Unless otherwise cited, stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference, Stathead or Cleaning the Glass. Salary information via Spotrac. Draft-pick obligations via RealGM.