The Cleveland Cavaliers may not be all that interested in a Brandon Ingram trade.
Indeed, given that they’re resistant to the idea of moving Darius Garland or Jarrett Allen –two players that the New Orleans Pelicans likely covet –they may not be keen to make a splash move at all. Of course, this could all change if Donovan Mitchell refuses to sign a contract extension this offseason. To that point, there has long been an expectation that Mitchell will reach a deal with the Cavs, but it does feel like they’re rushing him to make a decision out of their needs more than his own. With that being said, if there is a blockbuster trade that goes down, it could involve Mitchell rather than Garland and Ingram
Nonetheless, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reports that he’s “gotten the sense… that Cleveland isn’t enthralled with the idea of trading for (Ingram) and then having to pay him a ton of money after his contract season.”
“I’m quite confident that New Orleans looks at Garland and values him if they were going to part with Ingram,” adds Scotto, “but I’m not sure that would be a fit (for Cleveland) based on the intel I have.”
Michael Scotto Throws Cold Water on Brandon Ingram as Cavs Trade Target
To say that the Cavs aren’t interested in Ingram at all may be a mischaracterization. As Scotto notes, Cleveland isn’t jumping for joy at the idea of re-signing Ingram. However, this is likely due to the fact that they’d have just one season to determine his fit with the team. Furthermore, players tend to perform at a higher level when they’re on the last season of their contract. As a result, it’ll be harder to sift through the gold, casting doubt about his actual free market value.
Still, Ingram is an upper echelon offensive player who’s highly-touted by his peers and well-received by fans. Over the past five seasons, he’s averaged at least 20 points and 4 assists per game on 46 percent shooting from the field. He’s also 26 years old, just now entering his theoretical prime. He isn’t the best 3-point threat or defender out there. Yet, he’s shot 37.2 percent from 3 since 2019-20. He’s utilized his 7-foot-3 wingspan and 9-foot-1 standing reach to make defensive plays throughout his career.
Brandon Ingram’s Fit
If the Cavs were to trade for Ingram, it’s important to know what his role would be. Sure, he can share the scoring load with others. He’s done so with Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum in New Orleans. When he was with the Los Angeles Lakers, he took a backseat to LeBron James and Kyle Kuzma. Still, he’s an on-ball scorer who has made a living on isolation attempts and post-ups, not catch-and-shoot 3s and cuts.
That being said, he could play off of either Mitchell or Garland.
Mitchell is the focal point of the offense but his ball-dominance doesn’t reek of selfishness. Actually, he wants an aggressive scorer beside him, constantly imploring Garland to be as much. Alternately, Garland is a true point guard, with a real penchant for passing. Due to his more passive nature, he may take a backseat to Ingram as a scorer, and willingly.
Whether Ingram could match Mitchell’s production as the No. 1 option is worth questioning due to Mitchell’s proficiency from beyond the arc. To that point, Mitchell averaged 3.3 made 3-pointers per game in 2023-24, whereas Ingram made 1.3 3-pointers per game. However, Ingram could still have a similar output as long as he sees an uptick in his usage. He scores quite efficiently, just in a different way than Mitchell.
