RealGM

Ill offer this idea for Charlotte to add New Orleans to the recent deal based on:
-Charlotte adds a starting calibre SG
-New Orleans gets under tax apron short term and creates more off-season cap space to try to extend Ingram

To Charlotte
-CJ McCollum (2 years, $63.3 million)
-Jose Alvarado (3 years, $11 million)
-Jeremiah Robinson Earl (1 year, $2.2 million)
-Javonte Green (1 year, $2.1 million)

To New Orleans
-Grant Williams (3 years $41 million)
-Josh Okogie (1 year, $8.25 million plus T.O.)
-Cody Martin (1 year, $8.1 million plus T.O.)
-Vasilije Micic (1 year, 7.7 million plus T.O.)

Why?
-The Hornets get a starting SG in McCollum with 1 year remaining on his deal after this season as Hornets look to bolster starting 5 and improve their scoring


2025-26:

Ball/Alvarado/Smith
McCollum/2025 1st?/FA?
Miller/Green/2nd?
Bridges/Salaun/FA?
Williams/FA?/2nd?

-The Pelicans get out of tax apron this season and cut approx $20 million off their cap for this off-season to give them more flexibility to extend Ingram at the expense of dealing McCollum.

2025-26:

Murray/2025 1st?/FA?
Murphy/Hawkins/Reeves
Ingram?/Jones/FA?
Williamson?/Williams/FA?
Missi/FA?/FA?

We dealt Nick Richards so we can grant a full audition to a 2-way contract player Moussa Diabaté.

Translation? We want to get worse, not better.

I think any deal for win-now players for us is unrealistic. Those can wait until the draft and afterwards.

The Pelicans don't want to pay Ingram the money he wants. So I have the premise as flawed. Also, Grant Williams has significant negative value while injured. This is just brutal for the Pelicans.

jbk1234 wrote:The Pelicans don't want to pay Ingram the money he wants. So I have the premise as flawed. Also, Grant Williams has significant negative value while injured. This is just brutal for the Pelicans.

But dumping McCollum for $20 million additional cap flexibility for this off-seasons may increase appetite Pelicans have for extending Ingram.