Lakers Likely to Pass on Reunion Trade for $158 Million Star: Insider

Getty The Los Angeles Lakers are unlikely to strike a trade for New Orleans Pelicans star Brandon Ingram.

Los Angeles Lakers fans are still waiting for a big move this offseason, but it may never come. The Athletic’s Jovan Buha reported that the Lakers are expected to be patient in making their next move.

One potential trade that can likely be ruled out is a reunion with New Orleans Pelicans star Brandon Ingram. The Lakers insider noted that the Lakers are unlikely to make a move for Ingram or Utah Jazz big man Lauri Markkanen.

“Right now, a blockbuster deal, I just don’t see it. I don’t see [the Lakers] having enough for Lauri Markkanen,” the analyst explained in a July 16, 2024, edition of the “Buha’s Block” podcast. “I’ve not heard of any interest with Brandon Ingram. So, I don’t see them going for those two guys.”

Let’s dive into the Lakers’ next potential moves, and why Ingram is an unlikely trade target.

The Lakers Are Unlikely to Strike a Trade to Bring Back Brandon Ingram: Insider

Ingram is heading into the final season of a five-year, $158.2 million contract. The Pelicans star appears to have his eyes on a new lucrative deal.

“The Pelicans, league sources confirmed to Yahoo Sports, have not presented Brandon Ingram with an offer near his full maximum contract, and there does not appear to be a true option for Ingram to find that figure around the league now that Sacramento landed DeRozan,” Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer detailed in a July 15, article titled “The new CBA has changed the game, and teams are adjusting to a new landscape.”

The Lakers dealt Ingram to the Pelicans in 2019 as part of a blockbuster three-team trade that landed Anthony Davis.

The Lakers Are Willing to Remain Patient in Making an NBA Trade

Los Angeles has their own salary cap challenges without trying to add Ingram’s next contract to the mix. Ingram started his career with the Lakers as the No. 2 pick in the 2016 NBA draft.

The forward spent his first three seasons with the Lakers. If Markkanen and Ingram are not realistic targets, where could the Lakers turn in the coming weeks?

There were no shortage of rumors linking Los Angeles to stars like Klay Thompson and DeMar DeRozan. Lakers fans should likely have their sights set on less flashy moves for potential role players.

“There is still plenty of time for the Lakers to make a move this week, this month, ahead of training camp, early in the season or even closer to the Feb. 7 deadline,” Buha explained in a July 16, article, “What I learned about Lakers’ patient offseason strategy — and how long it might last.” “Waiting out the trade market could lower asking prices and reverse the league-wide reluctance to take on the contracts of Russell, Hachimura, Vanderbilt and/or Vincent.

“… But the Lakers have made it clear they’re not going to trade just to trade. They want it to be purposeful. They may only get one or two more swings with James and Davis. The bar for trading one of their first-round picks, let alone two, is high.”