The Denver Nuggets are on the verge of making their first major in-season trade since March 2021, when they acquired Aaron Gordon from the Orlando Magic. Only this time, they’re not looking for a versatile defender and connector. Instead, the Nuggets are hoping to acquire a scorer, and have significant interest in Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine.
LaVine wasn’t the only player on Denver’s shortlist though. Their targets include both starters and bench pieces. New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram is also “on their radar,” per SNY’s Ian Begley.
Re: The Athletic report on the Nuggets’ search for a scorer, I’ve heard Brandon Ingram is another player among the group on their radar. FWIW: the clearest pathway for Denver to make a trade for a big scorer with a significant salary would be to include Michael Porter Jr. in deal
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) December 18, 2024
However, similar to the LaVine hypothetical, Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. is the most likely player to be moved if such a deal gets done.
Brandon Ingram Lands On Nuggets’ Trade Target Shortlist
Should the Nuggets pursue Ingram, they couldn’t send Porter to the Pelicans in a straight-up swap.
Ingram makes $156,000 more than Porter, which is just enough to make the trade illegal for a first apron team. However, the financial aspect of the deal isn’t really a high hurdle. If Denver also includes Jalen Pickett and his $1.8 million salary, New Orleans can trade Karlo Matkovic ($1.4 million) or Antonio Reeves ($1.1 million) to make the trade work.
As Pickett and Reeves are both backcourt players, they could be moved for one another. The Nuggets are fond of international bigs though, so the 6-foot-11 Matkovic could fit their fancy even more. In any case, both Reeves and Matkovic have had promising moments with the Pelicans. In fact, Reeves scored a career-high 34 points in late November. Nonetheless, neither are likely to hold up this potential trade.
What B.I. Brings To The Mile High
Due to Ingram’s reputation, there are going to be many people who scratch their heads at the move.
He’s an inconsistent defender whose buy-in at that end doesn’t match Porter’s. He’s not as automatic as Porter from deep. He moves the ball better than Porter but probably isn’t the player a team should want to be the primary ball-handler. All of those concerns have merit but the nitpicking will distract people from the bigger picture.
Ingram has long been one of the better offensive players in the NBA. However, unlike Porter, he’s done so while creating for himself much of the time. When splitting hairs between two three-level scorers, it’s this that makes Ingram a better fit for the Nuggets.
Denver not only wants to take pressure off of Nikola Jokic but be able to generate consistent offense without him. The fact that Jamal Murray has looked like a shell of himself much of this season makes it even more imperative that they add a player with Ingram’s skillset.
The biggest question isn’t whether Ingram is the right fit, it’s whether he’ll remain in the Mile High past this season. That being said, it is possible that Ingram lands in Denver in an extend-and-trade. This is particularly possible if the Nuggets can send $8.9 million man Zeke Nnaji to the Crescent City.
