A 3-Team Trade to Send Brandon Ingram Back to Lakers, Land Pelicans a Starting Center (2024)

At this point in the summer, fans and writers alike have imagined how Brandon Ingram fits on nearly every NBA team.

Why not the one that drafted him?

The Los Angeles Lakers have been hiding in plain sight as a landing spot for Ingram, the franchise that he spent the first three years of his career with after being named the No. 2 overall pick in 2016 out of Duke.

A new Big Three of Ingram, LeBron James and Anthony Davis should complement each other quite well, although the Lakers don't have a center to send back to the New Orleans Pelicans, something the franchise desperately needs.

Any trade of Ingram needs to send a starting-caliber center back to the Pels, given that Jonas Valančiūnas left for the Washington Wizards in free agency. Newly signed veteran Daniel Theis is a backup and rookie Yves Missi is still pretty raw.

A third team will be needed to facilitate Ingram's return to Los Angeles, with an obvious choice sticking out due to its plethora of center options.

The Portland Trail Blazers are the easy choice as a third team to help get this deal done. With Deandre Ayton, Robert Williams III and rookie Donovan Clingan on the roster, Portland should be willing to part with one of its veteran big men, especially if it means improving on the wing and adding some draft picks in the process.

Here's what a framework for the three-team trade would look like:

Los Angeles Lakers Receive: SF Brandon Ingram

New Orleans Pelicans Receive: G Anfernee Simons, C Robert Williams III, F/C Christian Wood

Portland Trail Blazers Receive: F Rui Hachimura, G/F Jordan Hawkins, PG D'Angelo Russell, 2025 second-round pick (via Los Angeles Lakers), 2025 second-round pick (via Los Angeles Clippers)

Let's break down what this trade would mean for all three teams.

Los Angeles Lakers Receive: G/F Brandon Ingram

Los Angeles Lakers Lose: F Rui Hachimura, PG D'Angelo Russell, F/C Christian Wood, 2025 second-round pick, 2025 second-round pick (via Los Angeles Clippers)

Buying low on Brandon Ingram should be an extremely attractive option for the Lakers, a team that finished just 15th in offense last season and will be able to depend on LeBron James's scoring less and less as the veteran forward gets set to turn 40 later this year.

James and Ingram already spent a year together in L.A. during the 2018-19 season. The then third-year forward averaged 18.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists and shot 49.7 percent overall.

Since then, Ingram has improved his overall scoring, passing, three-point shooting efficiency (32.9 percent with the Lakers, 37.2 percent with the New Orleans Pelicans) and defense. Future second-apron concerns with Ingram's next contract have likely scared a lot of teams off from trading for the one-time All-Star, although the Lakers need to be in championship-or-bust mode this season given that James is playing the last few holes of his back nine. His two-year, $101.4 million contract contains a player option for next season, leaving the door open for James to leave or even potentially retire.

Ingram helps the Lakers win now.

The 26-year-old averaged 20.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game last year in New Orleans and gives the Lakers a potential starting five of Gabe Vincent, Austin Reaves, Ingram, James and Anthony Davis with Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht, Max Christie, Jaxson Hayes, Cam Reddish, Jalen Hood-Schifino and others off the bench.

The deal also opens up two roster spots for the Lakers, who currently stand at the full 15 and haven't been able to sign any free agents.

The $2.7 million this trade saves allows the Lakers to sign a veteran free agent like Markelle Fultz, Lonnie Walker IV, Marcus Morris Sr., Jae Crowder, Doug McDermott or another potential rotation player off the market and still stay under the second apron.

Ingram would now get to play for his former teammate, J.J. Redick, who was a member of the Pelicans from 2019 to 2021. The Lakers keep both of their tradeable first-round picks (2029 and 2031), giving them more flexibility in future trades.

New Orleans Pelicans Receive: G Anfernee Simons, C Robert Williams III, F/C Christian Wood

New Orleans Pelicans Lose: G/F Brandon Ingram, G/F Jordan Hawkins

As good of a player as Brandon Ingram is, the Pelicans no longer need him with Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy III and now Dejounte Murray all putting the ball in the basket. Paying Ingram anywhere close to a max deal (especially with Murphy also extension-eligible) will wreck this team financially moving forward, especially with no starting center currently on the roster.

Flipping Ingram and Hawkins for the combination of Simons, Williams and Wood solves a lot of problems in New Orleans, both now and in the future.

Williams, 26, started 97 games at center for the Boston Celtics, making the All-Defensive second team in 2021-22. He's one of the best shot-blockers in the NBA and is also on one of the best contracts. Williams is owed just $12.4 million this season and $13.3 million next year.

Plugging Williams in as a defensive force next to Williamson for the next two years allows Yves Missi a chance to develop and gives New Orleans a starter who's making just 8.8 percent of the salary cap.

Simons, 25, is coming off the best season of his career (22.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 38.5 percent shooting from three) and could be used as a sixth man behind CJ McCollum or may end up earning the starting job over his former Portland Trail Blazers teammate. He's under an extremely reasonable contract as well (two years, $53.6 million), giving the Pelicans another offensive weapon to help offset the loss of Ingram.

Wood, 28, is a floor-stretching big man who can also eat up center minutes and provides New Orleans with some insurance in case Williams suffers any more knee issues.

A starting five of Murray, McCollum, Herbert Jones, Williamson and Williams with Simons, Murphy, Jose Alvarado, Missi, Theis and Wood off the bench would be one of the deepest and most talented teams in the West.

Portland Trail Blazers Receive: F Rui Hachimura, G/F Jordan Hawkins, PG D'Angelo Russell, 2025 second-round pick (via Los Angeles Lakers), 2025 second-round pick (via Los Angeles Clippers)

Portland Trail Blazers Lose: G Anfernee Simons, C Robert Williams III

The Portland Trail Blazers drafted UConn's Donovan Clingan with the No. 7 overall pick to be their franchise center, with Deandre Ayton likely just keeping the seat warm with two years remaining on his contract.

Williams may get squeezed out of this rotation entirely, a shame given just how good he was with the Boston Celtics.

Trading Williams and Simons off a center-and-guard-heavy roster in a package based around a good, young forward in Hachimura helps balance out this roster while adding some extra draft picks next year.

Hachimura, 26, averaged 15.4 points and 4.8 rebounds and shot 57.5 percent overall and 43.9 percent from three in his 39 starts with the Los Angeles Lakers last season. If the Blazers end up trading Jerami Grant, Hachimura and Deni Avdija would make for a talented and versatile pair of starting forwards in Portland.

Hawkins, 22, was the No. 14 overall pick of the 2023 draft who nailed 38.8 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes as a rookie and gives the Blazers another young building block.

With a starting backcourt of Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe, the Blazers could either use Russell as a sixth man or look to move the veteran guard and his expiring $18.7 million contract to a contender sometime before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

The 2025 NBA draft is expected to be far stronger than the one we saw this summer, and the Blazers now get two additional picks to use or package together to try to move up with.