Mock trade sends Brandon Ingram from New Orleans to Houston

The Brandon Ingram trade rumors are so hot right now. Between David Griffin’s pointed comments on the move and NBA insiders detailing his availability, Brandon Ingram currently wears the crown of “king of the trade machine.”

Last week, Pelican Debrief detailed five potential trade partners that New Orleans could dance with this summer for Ingram or CJ McCollum, whose availability on the trade market has also been widely reported. The Houston Rockets were not on this list. According to Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, omitting the Rockets could have been a mistake.

Buckley pitched a trade package for Ingram that would see Dillon Brooks, Tari Eason, Cam Whitmore and the No. 3 pick in this year’s draft return to New Orleans. Here’s an excerpt from Buckley’s analysis.

“…so why not bring in Ingram? He may not be a top tier star – nor does he have the price tag of a top tier star – but he has been a nightly provider of 23.1 points, 5.2 assists and 1.8 three-pointers for five straight years, not to mention a 47.2/37.2/84.7 mark over that stretch, for. In context, those numbers would have made him Houston’s leading scorer and second-best distributor, while also tying him for third in perimeter shot volume…
… New Orleans, meanwhile, doesn’t seem convinced that Ingram is the ideal co-star for Zion Williamson — or at least that he’s not worth the money for his next contract. And while the Pels might be looking for more immediate assistance than some of these incoming pieces provide, they could also combine some of those trade chips with their own to make Williamson an optimal fit for his running mate.
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– Zach Buckley – B/R

If I’m the Pelicans, it’s an easy yes. Dillon Brooks brings an edge that New Orleans has sorely lacked. He is a dynamic figure, but a winning player in my opinion. Good luck to any back bench expected to play minutes against Brooks and Alvarado.

Eason and Whitmore are two ascending forwards who could play big minutes at the four in small-ball lineups with Zion calling the shots. In other scenarios, they might spell Zion and fit right in with a traditional grand. The number three overall pick would give the Pelicans ammunition in a trade or another chance on a high-upside player to add to a young, talented and hungry roster.

Count me on this case, Zach.