Brandon Ingram No Showed At Week Long Voluntary Minicamp

Hmmmmmmmmm. The Front Office thought he would be there

Brandon Ingram did not attend a week-long voluntary minicamp held by the Pelicans players in California, per @WillGuillory

The minicamp featured every player on the roster except Ingram and recent signee Daniel Theis.

The Pelicans believed Ingram would be there, but he never? pic.twitter.com/7bxRLlpWPl

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 5, 2024

Yes the media have noticed .

https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog/...ntary-minicamp

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Well, I think we can consider this the least surprising news of all time.

Is it the best look for one of the Pelican's best players to no show a voluntary minicamp where pretty much the entire roster was there? Definitely not great. But when I say this is the least surprising news of all time, it's not hard to understand why Ingram may be a little pissed right now at the franchise. First they decided to not give him a max extension and then they spent the rest of the summer throwing Ingram in every trade rumor under the sun. Whether they were true or not doesn't really matter, it happened. So is it crazy to think Ingram would be pissed at the moment?

Uhhhhhh, ya think?

Now there are two ways to look at this in my opinion. On one hand, he's still on the team and is under contract, so don't be a baby and be a leader by showing up with everyone else. Things in the NBA usually start at the top with the best players as they set the tone for the whole season. If they show up and buy in and are committed, the rest of the roster usually follows. Safe to say that did not happen here with Ingram and in some ways it backs up why the Pelicans maybe don't want to fork over a $200M+ extension despite his on court production.

The other way you can look at it is that maybe there is a trade already in the works and Ingram knows it, so why even show up? Granted that's a bit of a stretch considering the Pels couldn't seem to give him away this summer, but the clock is ticking. The longer he's on the Pelicans the lower his trade price becomes given he's an UFA after this season. If you wait until the deadline, you're probably only going to get 60 cents on the dollar because what contending team is going to give up legit assets for a player that could walk for nothing at the end of the year? Unless he gives the impression he'd sign an extension with that team, that's a risk not many teams can take. Plus, you're going to have to fork over 200M+ which might not be the best idea either.

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It’s time to trade BI. End of story.

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Originally Posted by Creative

It?s time to trade BI. End of story.

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They've been trying.

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Originally Posted by hornetsrebirth

They've been trying.

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It was time to trade him 3 years ago. A ball stopper with no defense. Why he is even a consideration for keeping is what is beyond me.

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Originally Posted by Fedupfan

It was time to trade him 3 years ago. A ball stopper with no defense. Why he is even a consideration for keeping is what is beyond me.

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BI was the only guy on our team able to guard Ja Morant. He's not bad on defense. He just needs to attempt more catch and shoot 3s and less dribbling long 2s.

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Originally Posted by hornetsrebirth

BI was the only guy on our team able to guard Ja Morant. He's not bad on defense. He just needs to attempt more catch and shoot 3s and less dribbling long 2s.

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This is where I'm at.

To be fair it’s not his fault the situation has come to this. We should have traded him earlier if we had no intention of paying his max (he was always going to ask for it). I just hope he honors his current deal going into the season and earns the money he is asking for. His future is not here and he has made that clear

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Originally Posted by hornetsrebirth

They've been trying.

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Well they’ve been trying but likely for a higher than realistic asking price. It’s time to trade BI for whatever we can get. If that’s Kessler/Collins so be it. If it’s more of a salary dumb for a pick let’s just be happy with extending Trey.

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Originally Posted by RaisingTheBar

Well they’ve been trying but likely for a higher than realistic asking price. It’s time to trade BI for whatever we can get. If that’s Kessler/Collins so be it. If it’s more of a salary dumb for a pick let’s just be happy with extending Trey.

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And this is how you run a franchise into the ground and make it a non-destination. Trading valuable assets for anything you can get.

The writing is on the wall. Pels want to move on and Ingram wants to move on. He will be on another team by the deadline for scraps

Jimmy Butler for Ingram?

https://heavy.com/sports/nba/miami-h...-trade-target/

I hope not.

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Originally Posted by RaisingTheBar

Well they’ve been trying but likely for a higher than realistic asking price. It’s time to trade BI for whatever we can get. If that’s Kessler/Collins so be it. If it’s more of a salary dumb for a pick let’s just be happy with extending Trey.

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This is exactly what I mean - if we already know that BI is not our plan for the future, He needs to be traded. I don't want any drama in the team until the trade deadline - give me Ayton or Kessler / Collins & 1RP and we can start. For me, the extension of TMIII is more important than Ingram.

If BI plays out the season and then walks, Trey is still getting extended. A Brandon Ingram trade where the Pelicans take back an equal amount of salary, then there's less room to extend Trey. I'm not in favor of trading him for random garbage.

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Originally Posted by Nichols

And this is how you run a franchise into the ground and make it a non-destination. Trading valuable assets for anything you can get.

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If you can't trade the asset for anything good, how valuable is the asset really?

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Originally Posted by ml wave

If you can't trade the asset for anything good, how valuable is the asset really?

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At this point Ingram's value as a player is worth a lot more than his value as a trade asset.

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Originally Posted by hornetsrebirth

At this point Ingram's value as a player is worth a lot more than his value as a trade asset.

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How, if he's not willing to adjust his game to what this team needs to succeed?

Exactly!!

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Originally Posted by ml wave

If you can't trade the asset for anything good, how valuable is the asset really?

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It really is just unfortunate timing for Ingram, and the Pels. The league has made it difficult to stack teams. It puts both parties in a bad spot. Ingram isn't good enough to get paid like a guy that can lead a team into a championship. Teams can't afford to pay guys like him max. Even though that's what he'd get, and anyone else producing like he does a year or so ago. He might have been able to make a better argument had he not played so poorly in the playoffs. Even still, with the current changes, you can't pay a number 2, or 3 like you'd pay a 1 option anymore.

That said. You don't get rid of number 2's for trash. Especially when your franchise isn't a free agency destination.

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Originally Posted by urboyJD

How, if he's not willing to adjust his game to what this team needs to succeed?

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Let him come off the bench. Then he can be the high usage guy he wants to be and the offense can flow through him as the leader of the 2nd unit.

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Originally Posted by hornetsrebirth

Let him come off the bench. Then he can be the high usage guy he wants to be and the offense can flow through him as the leader of the 2nd unit.

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I'm sure he'll be super cooperative with that.

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Originally Posted by urboyJD

I'm sure he'll be super cooperative with that.

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What's his other option? Pout and be a cancer in a contract year?

I think he will honor his contract. He has made it clear that he is gone after this year though. He still has to play for his next deal

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Originally Posted by 13 - 3

Jimmy Butler for Ingram?

https://heavy.com/sports/nba/miami-h...-trade-target/

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3-team... ship Jimmy somewhere and get a big and a couple picks out of the deal.

I think the problem with dealing BI has more to do with the fact that teams know that BI wants a max, and they're not willing to trade away assets for a one-year rental, because everyone except BI believes he's a non-max player.

If BI didn't have the whole "I want max" demands... he would have been traded already IMO. Its not that BI is a trash player, and that he has zero value. His contract demands are why he's still a Pel, and I don't even think Griff would be willing to sign BI at 45 mil/yr. I don't think they feel he's in the long term plans, but he needs to come off those demands.

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Originally Posted by hornetsrebirth

What's his other option? Pout and be a cancer in a contract year?

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So you're advocating for creating conditions under which you agitate tensions unnecessarily.. While at the same time depressing his trade value even more so.

It's not out of the question he plays better off-ball with this group, shoots the quantity of threes we want, and has a little bit of health luck. I can totally see him justifying a max contract this year. We'll see.

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Originally Posted by Nichols

So you're advocating for creating conditions under which you agitate tensions unnecessarily.. While at the same time depressing his trade value even more so.

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I reject the idea that basketball decisions should be made based on not hurting BI's feelings or maybe increasing his trade value. If he's not in this teams future then we don't need to sacrifice anything to make him happy. The decisions should be made based on what produces the best level of play for the New Orleans pelicans. Brandon Ingram started every game last year and his trade value is what it is now... so by what logic does starting next year increase his value? That's just speculation on your part, and speculation based on literally nothing. If he comes off the bench and leads the offense in a very productive way that would increase his value more than he's not fitting in well to the starting lineup.

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Originally Posted by hornetsrebirth

I reject the idea that basketball decisions should be made based on not hurting BI's feelings or maybe increasing his trade value. If he's not in this teams future then we don't need to sacrifice anything to make him happy. The decisions should be made based on what produces the best level of play for the New Orleans pelicans. Brandon Ingram started every game last year and his trade value is what it is now... so by what logic does starting next year increase his value? That's just speculation on your part, and speculation based on literally nothing. If he comes off the bench and leads the offense in a very productive way that would increase his value more than he's not fitting in well to the starting lineup.

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There's so much wrong with what you said..

It's not about making Ingram happy. You gain nothing but contention by bringing him off the bench. His trade value has nothing to do with his on-court play. You should know this. It's been explained by me, and others on this site. There is no speculation on my part. Benching a starter level player that you're trying to move reduces his value because teams know you're desperate to move him and the environment is hostile. Think about what you're saying please. And do it objectively, without considering the dislike you have for Ingram. Him not fitting in with the starting line-up is bogus. Considering how he led this team into the playoffs a season ago, and was the best player on the floor while they were in the playoffs. It even got Zion excited to return.

Some of you are allowing your dislike for Brandon to lead you into some odd commentary. Good thing the front office isn't driven by emotion, primarily.

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Originally Posted by Nichols

There's so much wrong with what you said..

It's not about making Ingram happy. You gain nothing but contention by bringing him off the bench. His trade value has nothing to do with his on-court play. You should know this. It's been explained by me, and others on this site. There is no speculation on my part. Benching a starter level player that you're trying to move reduces his value because teams know you're desperate to move him and the environment is hostile. Think about what you're saying please. And do it objectively, without considering the dislike you have for Ingram. Him not fitting in with the starting line-up is bogus. Considering how he led this team into the playoffs a season ago, and was the best player on the floor while they were in the playoffs. It even got Zion excited to return.

Some of you are allowing your dislike for Brandon to lead you into some odd commentary. Good thing the front office isn't driven by emotion, primarily.

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I have thought about what I'm saying, it makes sense on every level. Think about what you're saying because there's no logic in it at all. BI has been a starter the entire time here, and as of now he has literally zero trade value. The idea that the Pelicans should make a basketball decision based on what might possibly increase the trade value value of somebody who is not in the team's future is already a dumb idea. But combined with the fact that starting Brandon Ingram has proven to do nothing for his trade value, it's a really really dumb idea.

I don't dislike Brandon Ingram at all. Not sure where you got that out of my post. I think the best way to maximize his impact is bringing him off the bench, he can still play roughly the same amount of minutes per game. The reason he doesn't fit in the starting lineup is obvious. He's a ball dominant player with a mid range based game. Murray is the point guard and Zion is Zion. Those are the two primary ballhandlers. Brandon Ingram doesn't shoot enough threes and is not an off ball player, and those are the two things we need from somebody in the starting lineup at his position. Coming off the bench allows him to be the type of player that he wants to be. In the starting lineup he's gonna be relegated to an off ball guy and he definitely wont be happy about that. Maybe I just have more respect for him than you do and I think he'll accept a role that is best for the team, and you think he's a diva who can only think about himself?

Talking about what BI did in the playoffs two years ago just proves my point. He is at his best when he can be "the guy", when he is the focus of the offense and everything flows through him. On the 2nd unit he can be exactly that. In the starting lineup when everyone is healthy, what is Brandon Ingram's role? Because it's definitely not that.

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Originally Posted by hornetsrebirth

Talking about what BI did in the playoffs two years ago just proves my point. He is at his best when he can be "the guy", when he is the focus of the offense and everything flows through him. On the 2nd unit he can be exactly that. In the starting lineup when everyone is healthy, what is Brandon Ingram's role? Because it's definitely not that.

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I'm sorry, I stopped at "he literally has no trade value". Didn't read the rest of what you wrote. We can agree to disagree and leave it there boss. Good day sir.

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Originally Posted by Nichols

I'm sorry, I stopped at "he literally has no trade value". Didn't read the rest of what you wrote. We can agree to disagree and leave it there boss. Good day sir.

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That's a weird place to stop reading. What, you're just gonna pretend like they haven't been trying to trade Brandon all off-season long without finding a single team interested?

For people that insist on BI starting, I do think small ball lineup is intriguing. That's the only way it makes sense to me. Murray/BI/Herb/Trey/Zion, on offense it checks all the boxes to be a great fit, and defensively I think it would be fine too. Even though Zion is undersized at center he is strong and we haven't seen him get bullied in the NBA. The main concern is rebounding, but I'd be interested to see if that weakness is offset by everything else.

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Originally Posted by 13 - 3

Jimmy Butler for Ingram?

https://heavy.com/sports/nba/miami-h...-trade-target/

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pass

Jesus! Maybe it is just a wig.

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