Tyler Herro
The Miami Heat may have limited options in free agency this summer, but they still have intriguing trade possibilities if they decide a lineup shake-up is necessary.
Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report proposed a trade on Tuesday, July 2, where the Heat would trade Tyler Herro, Caleb Martin (via sign-and-trade), and a 2029 first-round pick to the New Orleans Pelicans for Brandon Ingram.
“Ingram doesn’t have the high-volume three-ball the Heat would ideally want, but he checks a lot of other boxes. He is a scoring threat from all over the floor, and he can create something out of nothing for himself or his teammates,” Buckley wrote. “If Miami could maintain workable spacing … this offense would have plenty of creativity and downhill attacking from Ingram, Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier, and Bam Adebayo. The Heat would also wind up longer on the wing and potentially even more disruptive with their zone defense.”
Pelicans Primed to Make Major Trade Involving Former All-Star Forward
Brandon Ingram is entering the final season of a five-year, $158 million contract in 2024-25 and will become an unrestricted free agent next summer if New Orleans chooses not to extend him.
Despite being a one-time All-Star, Ingram is expected to demand a max deal of four years and $208 million. However, William Guillory of The Athletic reported last month that the Pelicans are unlikely to offer the combo forward his financial wish.
“Considering their current and future financial situation, the Pelicans are unlikely to offer him that maximum deal this offseason, league sources tell The Athletic,” Guillory wrote on June 3.
Guillory added that trading Ingram is the best way for the Pelicans to upgrade their roster, especially after a first-round sweep by the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2024 playoffs, where defensive specialist Lou Dort limited Ingram to 14.3 points per game on 34.5% shooting.
“After Ingram’s ineffectiveness against one of the Western Conference’s top teams — now and in the future — it took no time for questions to start popping up about his future,” Guillory wrote. “There’s no question the Pelicans need to make some changes to the roster, and their best way to add a significant piece is to move Ingram in a trade this summer.”
Brandon Ingram Has Proven Himself a High-Level NBA Scorer Over Past 5 Years
The Pelicans’ situation changed somewhat after trading for former All-Star guard Dejounte Murray, but if New Orleans isn’t interested in paying Ingram top dollar, trading him now for assets before he leaves in free agency next summer is the right move.
Despite his struggles against the Thunder, Ingram’s performance in 2023-24 was solid. He averaged 20.8 points per game last season, which was his lowest total in the past five campaigns, but he has scored as much as 24.7 points per game in 2022-23, according to Basketball Reference.
Ingram is also a decent playmaker, averaging 5.7 assists last season and 4.3 assists per game over his eight-year NBA career. At 6-foot-8, he is a reasonable rebounder with a professional mark of 5.2 boards per outing.
Ingram, who will play next season at 27 years old, is a serviceable 3-point shooter at 36.2% from behind the arc on 3.7 attempts per game for his career. A transition to the Heat might necessitate a bump in 3-point tries, but that shouldn’t be a challenge for a seasoned talent like Ingram.
Brandon Ingram Trade Would Help Heat Guard Against Departure of Jimmy Butler
Ingram is a more consistent offensive threat than Herro, connecting on 5.1% more of his field goal attempts last season than the Heat guard (49.2% compared to 44.1%). There is also the question of Butler for Miami to consider.
Butler and the Heat were unable to agree on a contract extension this summer, meaning he will become an unrestricted free agent next offseason unless a deal is reached. Adding a player like Ingram now could bolster the offense and elevate Miami’s competitiveness in the Eastern Conference in 2024-25.
Inking Ingram to a long-term deal would allow the Heat to pair a wing scorer with legitimate defensive length alongside Adebayo, who recently signed a max deal to remain in Miami. The franchise could also explore a sign-and-trade option with Butler next summer if they decide to move on, bringing in assets for the future Hall of Famer, or sign him to a more team-friendly contract.
While the scenario isn’t perfect, trading a first-round pick five years down the road along with Herro and Martin — who has opted out of his contract and is likely leaving South Florida anyway — for Ingram could make Miami a more competitive team right now.
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