Brandon Ingram Landing Spots

JMAC3 · Post #1 » by **JMAC3** » Wed Dec 4, 2024 7:37 pm

Here are three trades that I think could make sense for Ingram and the team acquiring him.

Team 1: Milwaukee.

Middleton + 2031 first (top 5 prot) for Ingram.

Milwaukee gets a younger player to appease Giannis. They are never going to be able to add Ingram type of talent for cheaper than this.

Pelicans pick up a first and Middleton contract is short enough that is doesn't bury them long term if he can't play.
He is also way cheaper than Ingram and can mimic some of his playmaking and shot creation in the perfect world.

Team 2: Miami

Butler and Rozier for Ingram and McCollum

Pelicans don't want to give Ingram the huge long payday, instead they take a chance on Butler. Rozier also is a bit cheaper than McCollum to save some money.

Miami gets a younger piece for Jimmy that fits better with Bam and Herro moving forward. Rozier hasn't worked out so they re-roll dice on McCollum to see if that is a better fit.

Both of these teams fit Ingram request about moving to a team that has winning history. Also, both of these teams are bit stuck behind the eight ball with current roster setup and paying Ingram is not that bad considering alternative options.

Post #2 » by **Mavrelous** » Wed Dec 4, 2024 7:55 pm

Middleton/Portis to DET
Ingram/Reed/Wendell Moore to MIL
THJ/PatC/Bucks 1st to NOP

Pistons get vets who can help offensively, THJ hasn't been good, Middleton is much better
Bucks duck 2nd Apron, which allows them to combine salaries, get younger scoerer and backup big
NOP get umprotected 1st

mademan · Post #3 » by **mademan** » Wed Dec 4, 2024 8:00 pm

Mavrelous wrote:Middleton/Portis to DET
Ingram/Reed/Wendell Moore to MIL
THJ/PatC/Bucks 1st to NOP

Pistons get vets who can help offensively, THJ hasn't been good, Middleton is much better
Bucks duck 2nd Apron, which allows them to combine salaries, get younger scoerer and backup big
NOP get umprotected 1st

Middleton has a player option for 35 mill that he's almost certainly gonna exercise this summer. He's spent the last 2 years oft injured and/or playing bad to average (well below his salary level) basketball when he did play. I dont see the Pistons taking on his 2nd year without compensation

psman2 · Post #4 » by **psman2** » Wed Dec 4, 2024 8:06 pm

mademan wrote:
Mavrelous wrote:Middleton/Portis to DET
Ingram/Reed/Wendell Moore to MIL
THJ/PatC/Bucks 1st to NOP

Pistons get vets who can help offensively, THJ hasn't been good, Middleton is much better
Bucks duck 2nd Apron, which allows them to combine salaries, get younger scoerer and backup big
NOP get umprotected 1st

Middleton has a player option for 35 mill that he's almost certainly gonna exercise this summer. He's spent the last 2 years oft injured and/or playing bad to average (well below his salary level) basketball when he did play. I dont see the Pistons taking on his 2nd year without compensation

Yep, Middleton really needs to go to a playoff team to even treat him as neutral value in a 3 way trade like this. Likely no team takes him though until he at least plays 10+ healthy games this year for even expirings.

I think if NOP does trade Ingram it will be for the best future asset they can get. Bringing in Butler is only asking for trouble in this lost season. I don't see anyway Butler is happy on a bottom dewelling team and doesn't provide the spacing a Zion team needs regardless. This would need a 3rd team forwarding an asset for NOP instead of Butler landing there.

Post #5 » by **Mavrelous** » Wed Dec 4, 2024 8:08 pm

mademan wrote:
Mavrelous wrote:Middleton/Portis to DET
Ingram/Reed/Wendell Moore to MIL
THJ/PatC/Bucks 1st to NOP

Pistons get vets who can help offensively, THJ hasn't been good, Middleton is much better
Bucks duck 2nd Apron, which allows them to combine salaries, get younger scoerer and backup big
NOP get umprotected 1st

Middleton has a player option for 35 mill that he's almost certainly gonna exercise this summer. He's spent the last 2 years oft injured and/or playing bad to average (well below his salary level) basketball when he did play. I dont see the Pistons taking on his 2nd year without compensation

He is injured, he played well, healthy Middleton is a big upgrade, if Middleton was healthy he wouldn't be available for the price of salary dump.

mademan · Post #6 » by **mademan** » Wed Dec 4, 2024 8:12 pm

Mavrelous wrote:
mademan wrote:
Mavrelous wrote:Middleton/Portis to DET
Ingram/Reed/Wendell Moore to MIL
THJ/PatC/Bucks 1st to NOP

Pistons get vets who can help offensively, THJ hasn't been good, Middleton is much better
Bucks duck 2nd Apron, which allows them to combine salaries, get younger scoerer and backup big
NOP get umprotected 1st

Middleton has a player option for 35 mill that he's almost certainly gonna exercise this summer. He's spent the last 2 years oft injured and/or playing bad to average (well below his salary level) basketball when he did play. I dont see the Pistons taking on his 2nd year without compensation

He is injured, he played well, healthy Middleton is a big upgrade, if Middleton was healthy he wouldn't be available for the price of salary dump.

When he has played, he has still failed to live up to his contract. At his best the last 2 years, he's played like an above average starter. I'd have to look at the numbers, but between this and a rookie salary, the Pistons would be pretty close to the tax. Getting this version of Middleton isnt worth the flexibility loss

JMAC3 · Post #7 » by **JMAC3** » Wed Dec 4, 2024 8:15 pm

psman2 wrote:
mademan wrote:
Mavrelous wrote:Middleton/Portis to DET
Ingram/Reed/Wendell Moore to MIL
THJ/PatC/Bucks 1st to NOP

Pistons get vets who can help offensively, THJ hasn't been good, Middleton is much better
Bucks duck 2nd Apron, which allows them to combine salaries, get younger scoerer and backup big
NOP get umprotected 1st

Middleton has a player option for 35 mill that he's almost certainly gonna exercise this summer. He's spent the last 2 years oft injured and/or playing bad to average (well below his salary level) basketball when he did play. I dont see the Pistons taking on his 2nd year without compensation

Yep, Middleton really needs to go to a playoff team to even treat him as neutral value in a 3 way trade like this. Likely no team takes him though until he at least plays 10+ healthy games this year for even expirings.

I think if NOP does trade Ingram it will be for the best future asset they can get. Bringing in Butler is only asking for trouble in this lost season. I don't see anyway Butler is happy on a bottom dewelling team and doesn't provide the spacing a Zion team needs regardless. This would need a 3rd team forwarding an asset for NOP instead of Butler landing there.

I mean this is a lost season for Pelicans.
They could bring Middleton along as slowly as needed with the hopes he gives them something next season when they try to compete. If he never works out getting a first round pick for Ingram doesn't seem like the worst outcome given some of the other proposed deals I have seen.

mademan · Post #8 » by **mademan** » Wed Dec 4, 2024 8:25 pm

I would want more than a single 1st in a Middleton-Ingram swap if im the Pels, but i like the 2 teams as trade partners. Maybe another 1st? Or 2 swaps?

cucad8 · Post #9 » by **cucad8** » Wed Dec 4, 2024 8:25 pm

I believe Milwaukee is a 2nd apron team, so couldn't take on the added salary that Ingram represents.

Mrakar · Post #10 » by **Mrakar** » Wed Dec 4, 2024 8:47 pm

He will probably get injured and not even play at the end of the season so my guess is he will stay Pelican and face harsh reality as a FA next season. Who the **** wants injury prone bad efficiency stoner?
Pelicans are not taking any bad money in the deal, and serious teams will not offer anything good. That is the reallity.
Maybe Pistons or Nets pull the triger since they dont have anything to lose, but if they intend to pay him good luck with that...

hugepatsfan · Post #11 » by **hugepatsfan** » Wed Dec 4, 2024 9:00 pm

I pray they trade him to MIA for Butler so we can hear stories about Jimmy terrorizing Zion in the Locke room. Calling him fat, trying to make him run, knocking food out of his hands, etc.

Post #12 » by **gswhoops** » Wed Dec 4, 2024 11:29 pm

cucad8 wrote:I believe Milwaukee is a 2nd apron team, so couldn't take on the added salary that Ingram represents.

Correct. Because they can't add salary (first apron) and they can't aggregate salaries (second apron), they can't use Middleton to acquire any player that makes more than Middleton (including BI).

One_and_Done · Post #13 » by **One_and_Done** » Thu Dec 5, 2024 1:40 am

I can't see a landing spot.

YayBasketball · Post #14 » by **YayBasketball** » Thu Dec 5, 2024 2:25 am

As I see it, it will take a semi-desperate team or a team at the edge of contention who can afford to take a talent boost:

1) Lakers. Desperate. If they offer their 2029 1st with minimal protections, that's enough of a base offer. Could even see them throwing in Reaves. Klutch connection runs deep.

2) Rockets. Not desperate, but have enough assets to gamble on adding Ingram to their deep core to make a deep playoff run. Expirings plus Jabari or Whitmore, and/or protected 1st. Some mix of that., with Jabari being less likely.

Post #15 » by **jbk1234** » Thu Dec 5, 2024 2:31 am

Maybe the Lakers for Rui (with an expiring Dlo and minor draft capital going to a third team).

YayBasketball · Post #16 » by **YayBasketball** » Thu Dec 5, 2024 5:06 am

jbk1234 wrote:Maybe the Lakers for Rui (with an expiring Dlo and minor draft capital going to a third team).

Yea this is the most popular and realistic framework. But Rui+DLo is just short of BI's 36m, so LAL would have to add another salary outgoing since they're a 1st apron team. But I wonder if with how bad they're looking now, if they will hold tightly to that 2029 and 31 firsts.

JMAC3 · Post #17 » by **JMAC3** » Thu Dec 5, 2024 2:30 pm

gswhoops wrote:
cucad8 wrote:I believe Milwaukee is a 2nd apron team, so couldn't take on the added salary that Ingram represents.

Correct. Because they can't add salary (first apron) and they can't aggregate salaries (second apron), they can't use Middleton to acquire any player that makes more than Middleton (including BI).

Damn this CBA is really terrible. Is there no room for error at all? If Middleton made 31.6 could they not trade him straight up for a guy making 31.7?

Post #18 » by **Mavrelous** » Thu Dec 5, 2024 2:35 pm

JMAC3 wrote:
gswhoops wrote:
cucad8 wrote:I believe Milwaukee is a 2nd apron team, so couldn't take on the added salary that Ingram represents.

Correct. Because they can't add salary (first apron) and they can't aggregate salaries (second apron), they can't use Middleton to acquire any player that makes more than Middleton (including BI).

Damn this CBA is really terrible. Is there no room for error at all? If Middleton made 31.6 could they not trade him straight up for a guy making 31.7?

They are 6.5 million over the Apron, so they can aggregate if the incoming salary is 6.5 less.
If the deal is based on Middleton + Portis, it should be easy to pull.

Godaddycurse · Post #19 » by **Godaddycurse** » Thu Dec 5, 2024 4:09 pm

i can see orlando doing KCP + Harris + one of their 2025 1st

Post #20 » by **jbk1234** » Thu Dec 5, 2024 4:40 pm

YayBasketball wrote:
jbk1234 wrote:Maybe the Lakers for Rui (with an expiring Dlo and minor draft capital going to a third team).

Yea this is the most popular and realistic framework. But Rui+DLo is just short of BI's 36m, so LAL would have to add another salary outgoing since they're a 1st apron team. But I wonder if with how bad they're looking now, if they will hold tightly to that 2029 and 31 firsts.

Outside of trading for a top 5 player, which they don't have the assets for, I think their window is closed. It's the Lakers so there's institutional reluctance when it comes to damage mitigation, but that's the smart play.