Brandon Ingram's tenure with the Pelicans looks to be all but over

Brandon Ingram struggled as the New Orleans Pelicans were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the opening round of the playoffs. The versatile forward saw his output sharply decline as he was thrust into a prominent role following the injury to Zion Williamson in the play-in tournament. Ingram is now expected to be traded by New Orleans during the offseason. 

According to a recent report by Marc Stein, some around the league view Ingram's potential departure as an "inevitability rather than a possibility."

"Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin has all but promised that New Orleans will be active in the marketplace in the wake of a first-round sweep inflicted by the Thunder and league sources say that Ingram's exit is increasingly viewed by various league observers as an inevitability rather than possibility," Stein reported. "A handful of Eastern Conference teams (Philadelphia, Cleveland, Atlanta and Orlando) have already been mentioned as potential trade suitors for Ingram."

The Pelicans are likely looking to re-tool their roster around Williamson. Ingram is currently the Pelican's second option on offense. He ended the regular season with averages of 20.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.7 assists while shooting 49.2% from the field and 35.5% from three-point range. However, the fit alongside Williamson and CJ McCollum isn't great. The spacing has sometimes suffered, and all three need the ball in their hands to be highly effective. 

McCollum's experience and veteran leadership likely means he will remain on the roster. Therefore, Ingram is the most logical choice for New Orleans to float on the trade market. He currently has one year remaining on his five-year $158 million deal. As such, there will be multiple teams willing to roll the dice on potentially adding him to their roster.

New Orleans will undoubtedly seek a healthy return for one of its star players despite him being an impending free agent. Nevertheless, it would appear that Ingram's future lies away from New Orleans, and that could mean another contending team is about to drastically improve on the wing. 

For the Pelicans, it means they can start building a roster that accentuates Williamson's elite skillset and potentially puts them in a position to contend for a championship next season and in the years to come.