Raptors acquire Brandon Ingram from Pelicans for Bruce Brown and Kelly Olynyk

Keith Smith
Keith Smith, Resident NBA ExpertFebruary 08, 2025
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#nba #nba trade deadline #toronto raptors #new orleans pelicans

The Toronto Raptors again went the “pre-agency” route. The Pelicans got value for a player who was no long a part of their future plans.

Here are the particulars:

Toronto Raptors acquire: Brandon Ingram

New Orleans Pelicans acquire: Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, 2026 top-four protected Pacers first-round pick, 2031 Raptors second-round pick

Let’s dive in!

Toronto Raptors

Incoming salary: $34 million in 2024-25

  • Brandon Ingram (SF, one year, $34 million)

Outgoing salary: $35.8 million in 2024-25

  • Bruce Brown (SG/SF, one year, $23 million)
  • Kelly Olynyk (C, two years, 26.3 million)

For the fourth consecutive trade deadline, the Toronto Raptors have traded a future first-round pick to acquire a pending free agent. This strategy has worked for the Raptors in the past, but this one is the biggest move yet.

Toronto has no real path to acquiring a player as good as Brandon Ingram in free agency. The Raptors don’t have cap space, nor is Toronto a free agent destination. That means not waiting to get your work done in free agency. By acquiring Ingram now, the Raptors make a pre-agency move to be in position to offer him more than anyone else can.

Ingram is set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Ingram remains extension eligible, but he’s bound by signing for no more than is allowable via the extend-and-trade rules. That restriction remains in place for six months, which clearly takes us past the start of free agency. That means a max extension of up to three season, starting at 120% of Ingram’s current salary with 5% raises.

That means from today through June 30, Ingram could sign a three-year extension worth up to $136 million. Which begs the question: Is that enough? That’s not a max deal, but it’s not far off of one. And is a max deal coming for Ingram anyway?

Those are the questions that Ingram, his reps and the Raptors have to look at over the next several months. Toronto has some flexibility, but they are already carrying long-term money for Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickly, RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl. That’s starting to be a lot of money locked up for a team that hasn’t proven anything.

In addition, only the Brooklyn Nets project to have cap space this coming offseason. Given they are rebuilding, they aren’t likely to be up for a max deal for Ingram. Sign-and-trade deals could be in play, but that involves Toronto playing ball.

Basically, the Raptors don’t have full control here, but they should feel good about re-signing Ingram.

As far as his next contract goes, Ingram is really good. He’s a three-level scorer, and a good playmaker and rebounder. He’s also fine defensively, especially when playing with other good defenders. That’s the kind of guy who lands a near-max deal.

That core, plus Ingram, is probably a playoff team in the Eastern Conference next season. And there’s young talent behind that core group, and a high draft pick coming too.

Mostly, the Raptors didn’t trade a first-round pick and a couple of good players, to mess around with re-signing Ingram. If he’s reasonable and doesn’t demand a full max, there’s room to get something done before unrestricted free agency in July.

New Orleans Pelicans

Incoming salary: $35.8 million in 2024-25

  • Bruce Brown (SG/SF, one year, $23 million)
  • Kelly Olynyk (C, two years, 26.3 million)

Outgoing salary: $34 million in 2024-25

  • Brandon Ingram (SF, one year, $34 million)

It’s been clear for a while now that Brandon Ingram’s time in New Orleans was coming to an end. The team and Ingram were reportedly far apart in extension talks. The Pelicans were leery of locking into another big deal with Ingram, given long-term money they already have committed to several players. Ingram’s challenges with staying on the court could also be a challenge for New Orleans, given that issue persists with other players as well.

The Pelicans aren’t going to buy out either Bruce Brown or Kelly Olynyk. They’ll use both as rotation players for the remainder of this season. Olynyk should slot in nicely as a third big in a rotation with Zion Williamson and Yves Missi. Olynyk’s spacing will help spread the floor for the other big man to work inside.

Brown will give New Orleans some much-needed backcourt depth with Dejounte Murray out for the season and Herb Jones sidelined for a while longer. But this offseason is where things will get interesting for Brown.

This time around in unrestricted free agency, there won’t be any offers for $40 million-plus for Brown. But that doesn’t mean his Bird rights won’t have real value for him and the Pelicans. With almost the entire league over the cap, and several operating around the aprons, Brown could get to his next destination via sign-and-trade. Even if his annual salary is cut in half, that’s still reason enough to not take a buyout and then have to work without Bird rights this summer.

On the Pelicans side, a potential sign-and-trade of Brown could replenish some depth. And, of course, New Orleans and Brown could find that they enjoy this partnership over the next couple of months. That could lead to Brown re-signing to stay with the Pelicans beyond this season.

Overall, this is a new direction for New Orleans. They have Jones and Trey Murphy III as more-than-capable fill-ins for Ingram on the wing. The Pelicans will have a high draft pick this year to add more talent too. Getting some flexibility, both on the cap sheet and with two good players, for a guy who wasn’t in the long-term plans is good work.


#nba #nba trade deadline #toronto raptors #new orleans pelicans
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