Raptors Land Brandon Ingram in Blockbuster Deal With Pelicans

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Ricardo Sandoval is a Newsweek contributor based in Los Angeles, CA. His focus is sports content. Ricardo has been with Newsweek since 2024 and also writes for On SI for the Lakers, Bucks, Celtics, Pacers, and Trail Blazers sites. Ricardo also is a staff writer for Dodgers Nation. He is a graduate of California State University Northridge. You can get in touch with Ricardo by emailing r.klein@newsweek.com. You can also follow Ricardo on X @_RicardoSand

Contributing Sports Writer

The Toronto Raptors have landed one-time All-Star Brandon Ingram in a blockbuster deal from the New Orleans Pelicans.

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ESPN's Shams Charania shared the news via X.

Brandon Ingram #14 of the New Orleans Pelicans looks on during the first quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on March 08, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

Ingram will play for his third NBA team.

In return for Ingram, the Pelicans will acquire dynamic guard Bruce Brown Jr., Kelly Olynyk, one first-round pick and one second-rounder.

Brown is set to be an unrestricted free agent and is making $23 million this season.

Ingram has been solid for the Pelicans this season, averaging 22.2 points per game while shooting 46.5 percent from the field and 37.4 percent from deep. However, durability has been the issue, as he's appeared in just 18 contests and hasn't played since Dec. 7 because of an ankle injury.

The 27-year-old has played for the Pelicans for the last six-plus seasons. The former No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft is a career 19.5 points per game scorer, 5.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 0.7 steals in 495 career games.

The Pelicans are not in a good situation as we approach the deadline. They are dead last in the Western Conference with a 12-38 record.

However, the Raptors aren't any better, sitting with a 16-34 record, so it may seem somewhat strange for them to add at the deadline. Nonetheless, Ingram is on an expiring contract, and his acquisition shouldn't stand in the way of a long-term rebuild.

The Pelicans and Ingram were unable to agree on a contract extension earlier in the season. He turned down a $50 million contract in 2023 and a $40 million contract extension in 2024.

It is clear that Ingram had his sights set on another team, but whether that is with the Raptors or not remains to be seen.

The Pelicans were viewed as a team that would make a handful of moves, and they have done just that already. On Wednesday, Daniel Theis was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

New Orleans was $1.4 million above the luxury tax before the Theis trade; they're now below it as Theis is on an expiring $2.1 million deal.

The move did wonders for the Pelicans as they have essentially saved money by moving on from Theis.

As for moving on from Ingram, New Orleans had their hands tied and had no choice but to get something in return for his talents.

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