Los Angeles Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka has made very few moves during the offseason, even though the team clearly needs significant roster changes following a disappointing five-game exit in the first round of the playoffs this spring.
For the second consecutive season, the Lakers were quickly eliminated by the Denver Nuggets, but this time it happened in the first round instead of the Western Conference Finals. This regression should have been a wake-up call for Pelinka that his 47-35 roster wasn’t capable of contending for the franchise’s 18th league title.
With All-NBA frontcourt superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis emerging as two of the best players for Team USA at this summer’s Paris Olympics, the team’s recent postseason failures stand out even more. Significant personnel changes are needed if the Lakers want to be among the best in the West again anytime soon.
That’s why Pelinka needs to make a bold move, such as trading for former Lakers lottery pick and current New Orleans Pelicans combo forward Brandon Ingram.
Ingram previously played alongside LeBron James during James’ first year in L.A. and was later traded to the Pelicans as part of the package to acquire Davis. That trade initially worked out, as the Lakers won the championship the following season with a defensive-oriented team built around James and Davis. However, since then, the Lakers have gone through two head coaches and numerous teammates.
To acquire Ingram, Pelinka will likely need to part with both of the team’s tradeable upcoming first-round draft picks. The Pelicans need playmaking guard help, so L.A.’s starting point guard D’Angelo Russell could be an attractive option. However, Russell alone won’t be enough to match Ingram’s $36.1 million contract. The Lakers may want to include starting power forward Rui Hachimura’s contract, which makes financial sense, but New Orleans might prefer starting shooting guard Austin Reaves’ below-market, long-term deal. Adding a future pick swap could potentially convince Pelicans team president David Griffin to accept Hachimura instead of Reaves.
Last year, Ingram averaged 20.8 points on .492/.355/.801 shooting splits, along with 5.7 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game. Although he’s not a strong defender, his skills as a ball handler and three-level scorer would be a valuable addition to a team needing another versatile scoring option beyond James. While the Lakers would still need to address their perimeter defense, keeping Reaves would allow them to either continue starting him at shooting guard and promote backup guard Gabe Vincent or shift him to the point and elevate someone like Max Christie.
