The New Orleans Pelicans and Toronto Raptors made a deal late Wednesday night, as the Pelicans sent forward Brandon Ingram to the Raptors in exchange for Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, a first-round pick and a second-round pick.
Neither club (the Raptors are 16-35 and the Pelicans are 12-39, last in the Western Conference) is doing anything this season, but the trade does free the Pelicans of having to pay Ingram, who is a free agent at season's end, in the off-season.
The 27-year-old Ingram is averaging 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists on 47 percent shooting this season, but has played just 18 games. He has not played since December 8 due to an ankle injury and has not yet been cleared for contact.
At his best, Ingram is one of the game's top pure scorers, but the fit in Toronto is somewhat of a strange one because this is a team that was headed for the lottery, and even with this move, it doesn't make them bad enough to finish with a top five or so pick but does not make them good enough, unless Ingram returns from his injury in tip-top shape and healthy, to be a play-in team. His role on the Raptors will be that of a bucket-getter who can get the team a score when they need one.
Olynyk had one year left on his contract (2025-26, $13.4 million) so it is feasible that the Raptors just wanted to get off his deal and pick up an expiring contract in Ingram.
For the Pelicans, the move could signal a rebuild. Trey Murphy III's elevation toward future star status made Ingram expendable, and time will tell if Zion Williamson and C.J. McCollum get dealt as well.
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