Grade the Trade: Brandon Ingram gets title shot with Heat; Pels retool around Zion in bold proposal

Grading a proposed deal in which the Miami Heat acquire Brandon Ingram and the New Orleans Pelicans begin retooling around Zion Williamson.

Even after qualifying for the NBA Playoffs for the second year in three seasons, there's a chance that the New Orleans Pelicans could be pivoting in a new direction this offseason. With only one year remaining on his contract, the Pelicans have to make a strong decision on Ingram's future. If they're unwilling to give him a max contract extension, which may not even be on the table, there's a non-zero chance that Ingram elects to walk in free agency after the 2024-25 NBA season.

In an attempt to avoid that potential scenario, there's a chance the Pelicans elect to shop Ingram before it gets to that point. In a perfect storm scenario, the Pelicans could end up shopping Ingram this summer.

The New Orleans Pelicans may have to decide between Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram

In addition to the contract issues that the Pelicans have to iron out in regards to Ingram, there have also been rumors that the Pelicans may have to decide to build around Ingram or Zion Williamson sooner rather than later. Considering Ingram's situation, you'd have to imagine that will have to happen this offseason.

Running with that speculation, Bleacher Report offered up a bold proposal that would have the Pelicans trading Ingram to the Miami Heat (who could be a prime landing spot) this summer. Let's take a deeper look into that speculative trade.