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Pelicans star Brandon Ingram's latest Instagram post insinuates that the player isn't happy in New Orleans. Last season, Ingram played 64 games. While the number was up from the past three years, he was once again unable to remain healthy for an entire season.
Given that the injury woes of Zion Williamson and the Pelicans' inability to put together a strong season contributed to a slew of trade rumors. With Ingram entering the final year of his five-year contract, the Pelicans were rumored to be trading him to a team interested in extending him.
This summer, however, trade talk ground to a screeching halt in July, indicating that Ingram was likely to start the season on the Pelicans' roster. Now, in a post on Instagram, the talented scorer has fueled speculation that he is unhappy in New Orleans.
On Saturday, Ingram posted a clip to his Instagram story where a motivational speaker talked about self-value, catching the attention of NBA fans who thought the clip was a shot at the Pelicans.
"You cannot stay in environments where people don't know the true value of you. If you stay in environments where people don't recognize the value of you, you will shrink your gift to the size of what they can stand."
"Bro rly wanted to go out from Pels !! someone save this bro," one fan said.
"What’s the most logical destination for Brandon Ingram?" another fan added.
Looking at Brandon Ingram's future with the New Orleans Pelicans, will the team part ways with a talented scorer?
Brandon Ingram is still under contract with the New Orleans Pelicans through the 2024-25 season; however, he will become an unrestricted free agent after the upcoming season.
Currently, Ingram is on a five-year deal worth $158 million. Based on the contract breakdown, he is set to earn $36 million this upcoming NBA season, meaning he's likely expecting to make more on a year-by-year basis when he signs his next deal.
When looking at the New Orleans Pelicans' salary cap table, the team will be hard-pressed to extend Ingram given their cap situation.
Under the new collective bargaining agreement, teams who cross the second apron repeatedly will be hit with penalties. As a result, even if Ingram and the team resolve their current differences, extending him will be difficult.
If the team trades Brandon Ingram this season, they will still have to find ways to manage their cap space effectively given the acquisition of Dejounte Murray.
With the 2024-25 NBA season right around the corner, it appears as though the most likely scenario could be that Ingram starts the year with the team but a trade before the deadline remains a strong possibility.
