Brandon Ingram absent from Pelicans' mini-camp amid trade rumors: Report
There are still some trade rumors circulating around in the NBA offseason, such as the case of Brandon Ingram with the Pelicans. The Athletic's Will Guillory reported that the relationship between the all-star and the New Orleans franchise is in a rocky situation. Despite holding a week-long voluntary minicamp in California, Ingram was a no-show.
Aside from Ingram, the team's recent acquisition, Daniel Theis was also not in attendance.
The report highlighted that some possible miscommunication might have taken place as the team believed that Ingram would be available for an off-season workout with the team.
However, it might be a further indication of where the relationship between the two parties stands.
The report was also shared by user 'NBACentral' on X.
Brandon Ingram was traded to the Pelicans after three seasons with the Lakers, back in 2019. He was traded alongside Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart in exchange for All-Star forward Anthony Davis.
Ingram has been able to showcase his offensive talent with a bigger role under the team's offensive system. He was envisioned to be one of the team's core players alongside former No.1 pick Zion Williamson.
With the rise of Williamson as the face of the franchise, alongside a strong supporting cast, Ingram still has an opportunity to surprise the league by putting forth his best basketball yet.
Pelicans' executive vice president talked about Brandon Ingram's future with the organization
Ingram is entering his sixth season in New Orleans and Pelicans' executive vice president David Griffin shared what the team's plans are involving his tenure. His comments were shared by NBA.com's Jim Eichenhofer.
"We've been really clear, we'd prefer Brandon stay with us," Griffin said. "And Brandon has been pretty clear, he prefers to stay with us. ... So for now, we're going to play it out. I think we're committed to each other and committed to seeing if this team can work in a way that makes sense."
Griffin also highlighted the challenging situation the team is in with the new guidelines of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. He then reiterated the organization's preference to have Brandon Ingram remain on the team for the foreseeable future.
There are not many NBA forwards who are capable of putting up the kind of production that Ingram can deliver on a nightly basis. The New Orleans Pelicans will need substantial depth to match up well with their opponents in a highly competitive Western Conference.
After being able to reach the Play-In Tournament last season, the Pelicans have an opportunity to build on that momentum.