NBA Rumors: Pelicans Must Not Overlook Securing Ingram After This Season

KEY POINTS

Ingram due for big pay raise this summer
Pelicans must secure Ingram early
Griffin cannot afford to gamble on contract negotiations with Ingram

Brandon Ingram will be one of the top targets in the offseason after breaking out of his shell this 2019-20 NBA season. The New Orleans Pelicans are pretty much aware of that and claim they will retain the second overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft at all costs.

There is no question that Ingram has done more than bouncing back from his injury. This season, the 22-year-old has played 47 games, averaging 24.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per Basketball-Reference.com. These are a big jump from his career numbers. And with his breakout performance this season, the 6-foot-7 player earned his first All-Star appearance.

Ingram's performance has drawn conflicting takes from unnamed executives. In a report from ESPN, one believes that the Pelicans should try and secure the prized forward as early as now. With multiple teams expected to pitch, some feel that it would be worth securing the extra year which would not allow him to sign a two-plus-on with others is worth it.

However, there are others who feel that the Pelicans will play hardball and possibly lowball Ingram. In the eyes of this other unnamed executive, Pelicans vice president David Griffin could tell Ingram to get an offer to see just how much the former Duke Blue Devil is really worth. It appears that this person is not fully convinced that Ingram is a max-caliber player.

It remains to be seen just how much the Pelicans are willing to shell out on Ingram. He has carried the team this season, especially when Zion Williamson was still trying to recover from his injury. Ingram's efforts have allowed the Pels to rack up a 23-32 win-loss record in the NBA Western Conference, good for 11th spot. With Ingram and Williamson leading the way, they do have an outside shot of making the playoffs. If that happens, then there is no doubt that Ingram has significantly boosted his value.

Hence, it may be a game of bluffs for the Pelicans and Ingram this summer. The easy way to secure the rising small forward is with a new deal. Currently, on a rookie-scale contract, there is no denying that Ingram is due for a big raise. The only question now is will that come from the Pelicans or some other team.