Pelicans Why NOBODY wants Brandon Ingram 😳 (4 Viewers)

[Chris]

He would be really dumb to ne petty

Perhaps, but that doesn't exclude the possibility.

 

[wnelson]

Perhaps, but that doesn't exclude the possibility.

It kinda does though. Bi isn't unhappy at all being in nola... he just wants a max. The deadline is February and we shall see. He has another opportunity in the offseason. He needs to ball out regardless to be paid

 

[Andrus]

I would rather we not start the season with a potentially resentful player in the locker room. I'm not saying BI is that type of person, but I would like to avoid the possibility.

If the reports are accurate, BI shouldn't be resentful, though. The lack of a trade market should validate in his mind that the Pelicans did not want to pay his asking price because he asked too much. A reasonable person would suck it up and work towards a fair market value contract that either makes him tradable or content to stay where he is. Of course, players' agents aren't always reasonable, and knowing BI (not that I literally do), I'd bet that his agent is mainly responsible for making BI look... well... greedy.

 

[Archie's Boyz]

Here are my 2 cents , for what it's worth:
1) extend BI for one year, let him play this year, and then trade him at.or before the trade deadline for #1 in 2025 or player and #1 in 2027;
2) Straight up trade of BI with Portland for Ayton ;
3) keep BI and trade 2 Second round picks in 2025 and 2028 to Utah for Kessler.

 

[Thunderchild]

3) keep BI and trade 2 Second round picks in 2025 and 2028 to Utah for Kessler.

Reportedly, Ainge has already turned down two #1s.

 

[Chris]

If the reports are accurate, BI shouldn't be resentful, though. The lack of a trade market should validate in his mind that the Pelicans did not want to pay his asking price because he asked too much. A reasonable person would suck it up and work towards a fair market value contract that either makes him tradable or content to stay where he is. Of course, players' agents aren't always reasonable, and knowing BI (not that I literally do), I'd bet that his agent is mainly responsible for making BI look... well... greedy.

I hope you're right. Like you said, I don't know BI personally. I don't know how heated discussions are behind the scenes. A player can still perform his duties on the court while still sowing discord in the locker room. Again, I'm not saying that's something BI would do, but people are not always rational.

 

[wnelson]

Here are my 2 cents , for what it's worth:
1) extend BI for one year, let him play this year, and then trade him at.or before the trade deadline for #1 in 2025 or player and #1 in 2027;
2) Straight up trade of BI with Portland for Ayton ;
3) keep BI and trade 2 Second round picks in 2025 and 2028 to Utah for Kessler.

All 3 are bad but 2 is god awful and Kessler has a unreasonable asking price of 2 1st.

Smart play is to see what's what in january. Bi is a great player and I'd prefer to keep him.

 

[Mr. Sparkle]

BI was disgruntled at the end of the season so it’s somewhat of a concern to bring him back from a team chem standpoint but the bigger problem IMO is that the fit still sucks with Zion which is why we wanted to trade him in the first place.

After all this we are probably going to run it back for Year 6 when we’ve known it doesn’t work and/or can’t ever keep them both on the court for a full year for at least the last 2 years.

 

[wnelson]

BI was disgruntled at the end of the season so it’s somewhat of a concern to bring him back from a team chem standpoint but the bigger problem IMO is that the fit still sucks with Zion which is why we wanted to trade him in the first place.

After all this we are probably going to run it back for Year 6 when we’ve known it doesn’t work and/or can’t ever keep them both on the court for a full year for at least the last 2 years.

Yeah, we were terrible last year with bi and zion healthy until the last month of the season

Absolute garbage amirite!

 

[Mr. Sparkle]

Yeah, we were terrible last year with bi and zion healthy until the last month of the season

Absolute garbage amirite!

In their 2 man lineups, BI/Zion had a net rating of +2.0.

BI's net rating was +4.0, Zion's was +2.9

The Pels overall for the season had a net rating of +4.5.

Zion and BI on the court at the same time created below average outcomes for the Pels. They just don't fit well together.

Also, BI and Zion healthy has yet to be a thing for an entire season. I mean, we know what this looks like when you build around these two guys. The ceiling is the play-in and a first round exit, with one or both of them missing 20-30+ games per season.

 

[wnelson]

In their 2 man lineups, BI/Zion had a net rating of +2.0.

BI's net rating was +4.0, Zion's was +2.9

The Pels overall for the season had a net rating of +4.5.

Zion and BI on the court at the same time created below average outcomes for the Pels. They just don't fit well together.

Also, BI and Zion healthy has yet to be a thing for an entire season. I mean, we know what this looks like when you build around these two guys. The ceiling is the play-in and a first round exit.

Now redo the numbers when bi actually shot 3s

 

[Mr. Sparkle]

Now redo the numbers when bi actually shot 3s

No thanks - I'm sticking to facts not fantasy.

Anyway, I've been done with BI and Zion - I would've been fine trading either or even both before this season. Running it back _AGAIN_ seems very sub-optimal.

 

[wnelson]

No thanks - I'm sticking to facts not fantasy.

Anyway, I've been done with BI and Zion - I would've been fine trading either or even both before this season. Running it back _AGAIN_ seems very sub-optimal.

The facts were like 2 years ago

 

[LAhotsauce]

In their 2 man lineups, BI/Zion had a net rating of +2.0.

BI's net rating was +4.0, Zion's was +2.9

The Pels overall for the season had a net rating of +4.5.

Zion and BI on the court at the same time created below average outcomes for the Pels. They just don't fit well together.

Also, BI and Zion healthy has yet to be a thing for an entire season. I mean, we know what this looks like when you build around these two guys. The ceiling is the play-in and a first round exit, with one or both of them missing 20-30+ games per season.

Yet the 2 players that's supposed to work wonderfully together Zion/Trey, shows up with a +3.8 net rating. BI/Trey is a +8.0 net rating. This is why when you post stats like that, context is important.

Ingram, despite playing 6 fewer games, shows up more in the top 50 net ratings for this team than Zion does. So perhaps we need to realize that Zion just didn't have a great year last year and most comps including his name are going to be worse. That's where the improvement needs to come from. No matter if Ingram stays or goes.

 

[LAhotsauce]

I've seen too many reports of BI asking for a 4 yr. $208 million deal that it's hard to imagine that there isn't some truth to it. Is it possible that the Pels leaked it? If all is as reported, and no one wants to pay what he is seeking, then my opinion is that the market has spoken and he's going to have to sit with his agent and lower his contract expectations.

I just don't want to see him play out his contract, sign elsewhere and the Pels get nothing.

NBA basketball is the most rumorvilled sport in all major team sports. Every single summer.

A few years ago it was:
Zion will be the first player to NOT sign his rookie max.
Zion does not get along with the Griff.
Zion and his family do not like the Pels front office.
Zion and his family do not want to be in new orleans.
Griff played piano for Zion in the bubble.

All that despite Zion and his family being out and about all over New Orleans during that summer, which is typically when players leave their home markets not named L.A. I said back then how silly all those rumors were and was called a sunshine pumper with Pels glasses on.

Same thing this summer. BI and his team have zero grounds to demand a max deal. He hasn't played more than 64 games since his rookie year. Has never been named to all-nba. Only made an all-star team one time. Flamed out with FIBA. Did not play well in last year's playoffs no matter the circumstances. Because he doesn't make enough 3s or get a good whistle, his offensive scoring advanced metrics get pulled down. And BI has never struck me as some idiot prima donna.

Stein is not Woj. Woj tweeted that they are working to seek middle ground when he had every opportunity to say the hold up is a max deal. I am saying with 110% certainty the hold up is not a max deal.