Brandon Ingram Stiffs Pelicans, Doesn't Show At Minicamp

The New Orleans Pelicans held a minicamp this past week, and although it was voluntary, every single player on the roster who was supposed to be there, was there, except for Brandon Ingram.

Brandon Ingram did not attend a week-long voluntary minicamp held by the Pelicans players in California, per @WillGuillory

The minicamp featured every player on the roster except Ingram and recent signee Daniel Theis.

The Pelicans believed Ingram would be there, but he never… pic.twitter.com/7bxRLlpWPl
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 5, 2024

This comes on the heels of a summer in which Ingram made it clear that he wants a max extension as he heads into the final year of his current contract, and as a result, he's been the subject of numerous trade rumors.

But his reluctance to show up at the minicamp was glaring, and an ominous sign of what might be to come for the Pels and Ingram this season.

As noted by William Guillory of The Athletic:

This is an event Ingram has organized for his teammates several times in the past, so his absence stood out. The Pelicans hoped this minicamp would be the first time Williamson, Ingram, CJ McCollum and newly acquired point guard Dejounte Murray could all get on the court.

While Ingram believes he deserves a max contract, the lack of interest from other teams in trade talks indicates that there really aren't any teams in the NBA that agree with that assessment. And Guillory adds that "the trade market has dried up."

The four-year max extension Ingram was looking for is worth a projected $207.8 million. He's wrapping up a 5-year deal this coming season that will pay his $36 million in 2024-25.

Ingram averaged 20.8 points, 5.7 assists and 5.1 rebounds last season in New Orleans.