Pelicans trading Brandon Ingram to Raptors for Kelly Olynyk, Bruce Brown: Sources

Brandon Ingram is on his way out of New Orleans. The Pelicans are sending him to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Bruce Brown Jr., Kelly Olynyk, a first-round pick (top-four protected via the Indiana Pacers in 2026) and one second-round pick, according to league sources.

Ingram, 27, finally finds a new home after almost 10 months of uncertainty surrounding his future and countless conversations about his value in the marketplace under the restrictive rules of the new CBA.

Along with just about everyone else on the Pelicans, Ingram has gone through an injury-riddled 2024-25 season that’s left him sidelined for much of what was supposed to be the most important year of his career. He played in only 18 of the Pelicans’ 51 games this season, averaging 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists.

Ingram hasn’t played in nearly two months after suffering a high-grade, low left ankle sprain on Dec. 7. His extended injury absence, along with a bevy of injuries to other key contributors on the team, has led to the Pelicans sitting at 12-39.

Ingram came into the season hoping his play would help him earn the lucrative contract he’s been seeking since last summer — with New Orleans or another team. But his team’s struggles and his inability to stay healthy left him with few options.

Ingram has been eligible to sign a four-year, $207.8 million max extension since last July, but the Pelicans were hesitant to hand him such a massive deal after already handing out big contracts to Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, Herb Jones and Trey Murphy in recent years. Knowing the financial implications a max could have on a small-market team that has never paid the luxury tax in its 23-year existence, the Pelicans decided to draw the line with Ingram. He was set to enter unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2025.

Both Ingram and New Orleans sought out potential trade destinations that could a) provide the Pelicans with the assets they wanted and b) present a suitor willing to give Ingram the lucrative extension he wanted. The Pelicans spoke with several teams but couldn’t find a deal that gained any real traction until Wednesday.

During his six seasons with the Pelicans, Ingram made an All-Star team, reached the playoffs twice and turned into one of the most prolific scorers in franchise history. Still, his awkward fit next to Williamson — the two stars played just 154 games together in 5 ½ seasons — his reluctance to modernize his offensive approach and his ongoing issues with durability made it difficult for New Orleans to commit to another long-term contract with Ingram.

Some of those same concerns led other teams to pass on their opportunity to seriously pursue him.

Ingram has played 65-plus games in a season once in the first nine years of his career, and that was his rookie season with the Lakers. He was on the verge of having one of the healthiest seasons of his career in 2023-24, but he suffered a left knee bone contusion that nearly sidelined him for the final month of the regular season.

When at his best, Ingram has shown he’s more than capable of scoring and playmaking as well as most big wings around the NBA. His comfort with knocking down tough shots in the midrange separates him from most. He’s made major strides as a facilitator and a vocal leader in the locker room too.

However, he’s struggled at times to prove he can consistently perform at a level that’s required from someone seeking $50-plus million per year.

With Ingram headed to Toronto, there will be major questions about whether he can regain his All-Star form and prove it was the right move by the Raptors to acquire him. For New Orleans, Ingram’s departure allows it to fully commit to a future built around Williamson and Murphy as the faces of the franchise.

Toronto preserves core but contract hurdles ahead

It was important that the Raptors get off Olynyk’s contract, which runs through 2025-26, as opposed to Chris Boucher’s, which expires after this season. The Raptors have about $137 million committed to nine players next year. An annual salary of around $35 million for Ingram, a conservative estimate, could take the Raptors very close to the projected luxury-tax threshold before considering any other additions — including a likely lottery pick. If Olynyk’s $13 million-plus had still been on the books, retaining Ingram without subtracting from their core would have been impossible.

Still, there is going to be some interesting math problems for the Raptors to face this summer, assuming they don’t do anything major the rest of the way. I am surprised they gave up a first-round pick to make this happen. — Eric Koreen, NBA senior writer

(Photo: Sean Gardner / Getty Images)