The Los Angeles Lakers face mounting pressure to secure a third star to complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and Brandon Ingram appears to be a strong candidate.
As a six-foot-eight scorer with versatility and All-Star experience, Ingram could fill the Lakers’ need for a reliable offensive option, alleviating the burden on their aging core.
Ingram is in the final year of his five-year, $158 million contract with the New Orleans Pelicans, which makes him a prime trade candidate. New Orleans may be inclined to trade him before potentially losing him in free agency. However, acquiring Ingram would not come cheap.
The Lakers would likely need to part with valuable young assets like Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Jalen Hood-Schifino, and Christian Wood to make a deal work financially and attract the Pelicans’ interest.
This potential reunion with Ingram, whom the Lakers drafted second overall in 2016 before trading him in the Anthony Davis deal, could rejuvenate their championship hopes. However, Pelinka and the Lakers must weigh the risks of sacrificing depth and future flexibility for a win-now move.
