Should the New Orleans Pelicans trade Lonzo Ball or Brandon Ingram ahead of the start of the 2019-20 season?
Thanks in large part to an excellent return in the Anthony Davis trade, as they prepare for their rebuild the New Orleans Pelicans have a great combination of young players, a myriad of draft pick assets and a potential budding star already on its roster.
Which opens New Orleans plenty of options as they prepare for their first season without Davis as their primary piece, and the first under the Zion Williamson era. However, Zion is not the only big name on the Pelicans roster at the moment.
Two other notable players that come with their own baggage – for the lack of a better word – are Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball. They’re also two players that come with a bit of a question.
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While Ingram did have an improved season a year ago, he is still recovering from a blood clot – which is not the type of injury that can be brushed under the sheet quickly. Ball, on the other hand, isn’t battling any injuries but has simply disappointed, to a certain extent, during his first few seasons in the league.
Perhaps a new start is exactly what both of these players need. Question is, should it be with the Pelicans.
As it is, both Ball and Ingram are already going to take a back seat to rookie sensation Zion Williamson. While Ball is a natural fit next to Zion, Lonzo being a starting caliber point guard in the NBA is no foregone conclusion at this point in his career.
Ingram, at the very least, has proven that he’s a real threat on the offensive end. Nevertheless, I’m not so sure that David Griffin, New Orleans’ executive vice president of basketball operations, would consider either of these players core pieces at the moment.
Which leaves the option open to trade them before – or shortly after – the start of the season. And according to a recent report from The Athletic (subscription required), the Pelicans did receive a few offers for LA’s former dynamic duo.
In the end, Griffin and the Pelicans opted against moving both Ball and Ingram, but who’s to say that circumstances can’t change in a few weeks or months?
I don’t think anyone would argue with the fact that a new start in a new city will do good for both Ball and Ingram. However, I’m not sure if playing in the shadow of another dominant star is the best place for these two. That’s the big question that David Griffin and the rest of the Pelicans’ front office has to answer between now and the start of the season.