Jake Fischer Latest: On Brandon Ingram and his New Orleans future

Ingram remains a Pelican after a vexing offseason delivered neither a contract extension nor a trade to a new team. Fortunately we have Fischer to break down how we got here and what is likely next

Brandon Ingram's always been skinny. He was a stringbean back when I first met him inside Duke's locker room. And he's still as slim a reaper as Kevin Durant.

I covered Ingram's stint abroad with Team USA during the 2023 FIBA World Cup. After his first post-practice media session in Manila, he squinted at me through a gaggle of Filipino content creators and European reporters. The scrum ended. I reached out my hand and then he squinted differently.

"I know you," Ingram said.

"Yeah, man. I’m Jake."

I offered the reminder, just in case, that our interactions began during his freshman NCAA Tournament run. We've talked again over the years in New Orleans since Ingram settled with the Pelicans.

"Damn, bro," Ingram said. "You grew out your hair."

Ingram now sports a scraggly beard and long braids. But he's looked the same and played the same over five-plus seasons in New Orleans. The injury-ravaged Pelicans have limped out of these 2024-25 gates to a 5-18 record — Ingram's missed time himself with a calf injury — but he returned Thursday night to lead New Orleans past Phoenix, posting yet another 20-point performance with natural playmaking mixed in. He's averaged 23.0 points, 5.5 boards and 5.5 assists over 303 games with his second franchise. Ingram made his All-Star breakthrough as a Pelican. He naturally believes, with that résumé, that he can command maximum money if the right situation were to open up for him like Philadelphia did for Paul George.

If.

If the right situation materialized, Ingram would have been traded this past summer.