One Notable Team Appears to be OUT of Brandon Ingram Trade Talks

The Brandon Ingram drama continues to drag on in New Orleans, where the Pelicans and their star forward are still uncertain of their future together. Ingram wants a max extension, but the Pels don't want to give it to him and would rather trade him elsewhere for some return before he becomes an unrestricted free agent at season's end.

One team that was thought to have some interest in bringing in Ingram at one point was the Los Angeles Lakers. But according to insider Jake Fischer, given their current needs, the Lakers are not interested in bringing Ingram back to LA.

"All credible signals circulating about the Lakers suggest that L.A. is looking to fortify its frontcourt and add perimeter defense to assist LeBron James and Anthony Davis," rather than pursue Brandon Ingram, writes @JakeLFischer for @TheSteinLine.https://t.co/ewYWySc5d6
— Harrison Faigen (@hmfaigen) December 6, 2024

“Ingram's first NBA franchise is indeed whispered often by scouts as a potential destination for the next Ingram trade, but I haven't been given any indication that the Lakers are looking to pursue him now," writes Fischer in the Marc Stein substack.

"All credible signals circulating about the Lakers suggest that L.A. is looking to fortify its frontcourt and add perimeter defense to assist LeBron James and Anthony Davis.”

By frontcourt, Fischer is referring to a big man, and there is certainly one in particular that the Lakers have been tied to, but we'll have to see how that plays out. As for perimeter defense, we ran through an intriguing option in a recent post.

Ingram is putting up his usual excellent numbers, averaging 23.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 17 games, while shooting it from distance at over 37%.

The Pelicans, however, are having a dreadful season, largely due to a number of key injuries, and sit at 5-18, second from last in the Western Conference. The Lakers have been sinking in the standings and now find themselves in 9th spot in the West at 12-10. They need to do something soon to revitalize the roster, but it doesn't seem like it'll be Ingram coming in.