Brandon Ingram
Stretching back to the last offseason, there was somewhat of an overwhelming belief that Brandon Ingram would eventually be traded. However, instead of walking down that path, the New Orleans Pelicans decided to roll the dice this season to see where they would be at the end of the year. Considering that this season has been anything but ideal for the team, a trade of Ingram has continued to be whispered over the last couple of months. But even despite the rumors, it's still far from a foregone conclusion that Ingram will be traded at the deadline.
Ingram's contract situation makes it quite difficult for the Pelicans to gauge his trade value. Additionally, for better or worse, Ingram is one of the most polarizing players in the league at the moment - one that will be seeking a max extension heading into the offseason. That's not exactly a recipe for a strong trade market. With just a couple of weeks before the trade deadline, nothing is going to be easy for both the Pelicans and Ingram.
Prediction: New Orleans Pelicans (no trade)
When push comes to shove, I don't believe the Pelicans are going to be willing to trade Ingram just for the sake of doing so and that's probably going to result in New Orleans keeping him beyond the deadline and rolling to dice on how this offseason unravels. I'm sure the Pelicans will be open to contract negotiations once again with Ingram and perhaps there's a bit more motivation from both sides to find a middle ground. It's far from a guarantee but it could be a better option than trading him for what would likely be pennies on the dollar.
Even though the Pelicans should probably trade Ingram as they explore what's next for the franchise, I simply don't believe there's going to be a strong enough market for the team to pull the trigger on a deal. It's going to be even more difficult for a market to develop with such a big name like Jimmy Butler on the block. While it wouldn't be all that surprising if the Pelicans did end up trading Ingram, I also wouldn't be completely shocked if he did get traded. I'm just not expecting it at this point.