The Golden State Warriors spent the summer unsuccessfully seeking a trade to find Stephen Curry a second star who can rival Kevin Durant or a pre-injury Klay Thompson.
As such, finding that player presumably remains the franchise’s top goal with approximately one month remaining before the NBA’s February 6 trade deadline.
In that context, the online sportsbook Bovada on Wednesday, December 4, slated the Warriors among the top five contenders to deal for star forward Brandon Ingram of the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Lakers are the favorites to acquire Brandon Ingram in a potential trade, per @BovadaOfficial
LA Lakers +400
Miami Heat +500
LA Clippers +600
Atlanta Hawks +750
Golden State Warriors +800
Houston Rockets +800
Chicago Bulls +1200
Denver Nuggets +1400
Memphis Grizzlies +1400…
Golden State came in at +800 to trade for the one-time All-Star, tied with the Houston Rockets for the fifth-best odds to land Ingram.
The Los Angeles Lakers led the way at +400 followed by the Miami Heat (+500), Los Angeles Clippers (+600) and Atlanta Hawks (+750).
Ingram is in the final year of a $158 million contract and will hit free agency next summer.
Brandon Ingram not Ideal Player Type to Team up With Stephen Curry
GettyBrandon Ingram of the New Orleans Pelicans (left) guards Andrew Wiggins of the Golden State Warriors (right) during an NBA game.
Ingram is an elite scorer, having averaged between 20.8-24.7 points per game in each of the past six campaigns. He earned All-Star honors in 2019-20, his fourth year in the league and first in New Orleans after playing his initial three seasons as a member of the Lakers.
However, Ingram isn’t the ideal candidate to pair with Curry for a number of reasons. Part of his game resembles Durant’s in that he can use his size (6-feet, 8-inches) to create his own shot in isolation and hit tough mid-range jump shots over longer defenders. That skill is useful during clutch time in the last five minutes of close games as well as during the playoffs, when defenses are generally better and play tighter possession in and possession out.
That said, Ingram is a high-usage player (at least 28.0% every year but one in the past six seasons) and far from lights out behind the 3-point line (36.3% for his career), per Basketball Reference. He is also a below-average defender and is slight enough that bigger defenders can bully him when he’s playing offense.
Warriors Should Have Leverage in Trade Talks With Pelicans for Forward Brandon Ingram
GettyBrandon Ingram of the New Orleans Pelicans (left) guards Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat (right) during an NBA game.
The Pelicans are 4-18 this season, which is the second-worst record in the NBA, and part of that is due to injuries. However, the fact remains that Ingram is almost certain to leave in free agency if the team can’t trade him over the next month, which means a borderline All-Star level talent walking out the door for nothing.
That reality, plus the size of Ingram’s contract, should drive his trade price down. The only way he makes sense for the Warriors as a trade chip is on a half-season rental that doesn’t cost them much in terms of personnel or assets.
What exactly the Pelicans might accept in return is hard to say, as the team spent the summer looking for a big man. But with New Orleans’ season all but a lost cause at this point, the Warriors should have the leverage in any conversations, as the Pelicans openly tried to trade Ingram over the summer and were unable to find a deal.
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Warriors Among Betting Favorites to Trade for $160 Million Wing