Stiles & Watkins’ Big Fish List: Should the Kings pursue Brandon Ingram?

May 2, 2024, 12:01 PM

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 22: Brandon Ingram #14 of the New Orleans Pelicans reacts against...

(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

Editor & Kings Beat Writer

As the NBA offseason approaches, the Sacramento Kings are at somewhat of a crossroads heading into free agency and trade season.

What can Kings general manager Monte McNair do to push this team to the next level?

This week on Stiles & Watkins with hosts Allen Stiles and Chris Watkins, the guys broke down players that could be on Sacramento’s offseason wishlist.

Today, let’s dive into the next player on Chris’ ‘Big Fish’ list: New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram.

Brandon Ingram | New Orleans Pelicans | SF | Age: 26 | 2024-25 salary: $36 million

Following a disappointing first-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the New Orleans Pelicans could look to shake things up this summer.

New Orleans has two players–defensive wing Herb Jones and two-way threat Trey Murphy III–that could be in line for extended playing time in 2024-25, meaning the franchise could use forward Brandon Ingram to upgrade its roster in other areas.

Jones, who inked a four-year, $53 million deal before the 2023-24 season, and Murphy, who will enter restricted free agency next summer, have made Ingram somewhat expendable for the Pelicans.

The one-time All-Star averaged 20.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.7 assists on 49/35/80 shooting splits over 64 games during this past season for New Orleans team that ended Sacramento’s season in the eighth seed Play-In game.

With Jones and Murphy–who came off of the bench in 34 of his 57 appearances–ready to take over as the Pelicans’ starting small and power forwards, New Orleans could look to trade Ingram, who will be in the final year of his contract next season ($36 million).

Would Brandon Ingram be a fit on the Sacramento Kings?

The Kings hold a lot of stock in Keegan Murray’s future as a two-way threat, but bringing in another scoring wing could benefit a roster that has looked stagnant on offense at times.

Ingram’s expiring contract could make him an intriguing possibility for Sacramento as it likely would require less draft assets in a potential deal. The Kings’ first-rounder in June’s NBA Draft is expected to be a top-13 pick, which could be a sweetener in an offer that have to include matching salary.

Harrison Barnes ($18 million) and Kevin Huerter ($16.8 million) would make an Ingram trade possible, although New Orleans could look for a different path to a deal in the form of a three-team trade or by looking elsewhere for a better return.

The Pelicans also could swap out Barnes or Huerter for a combination of Davion Mitchell, Trey Lyles, and or Sasha Vezenkov.

Putting Ingram in a starting five that includes De’Aaron Fox, Keon Ellis, Keegan Murray, and Domantas Sabonis would make the Kings a lot better on paper. Adding a dynamic scorer that has averaged 23.1 points over the past five seasons would take pressure off of Fox and Murray to carry the scoring load, especially if Malik Monk doesn’t return in free agency.

Ingram’s expiring contract makes this potential arrangement enticing from the standpoint that both sides can take a year to see if the pairing works. If not, Ingram enters free agency in 2025 and Sacramento has some flexibility to look elsewhere.

Of course, the Pelicans could choose to trade outside of the West and avoid having Ingram hurt them down the line. We’ll see how things unfold in the coming months, but if the former top-five pick is made available, there is little doubt that Kings GM Monte McNair will come calling.

When is the next Sacramento Kings offseason date of interest?

For the first time in two years, the Sacramento Kings will be crossing its fingers for luck during the upcoming NBA Draft Lottery.

The 2024 NBA Draft Lottery will be held on Sunday, May 12, 2024, in Chicago, where Sacramento will have the 13th-best odds of securing the top pick.

How the Lottery works: The 14 teams that missed out on the NBA playoffs are eligible for the Draft Lottery. The final odds were determined after the regular season, and tie breaks were settled between teams with identical regular season records.

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