Stein: Pelicans 'Less Inclined' to Do Brandon Ingram Trade amid Zion Williamson Buzz

The New Orleans Pelicans are reportedly considered more likely to explore trading Zion Williamson than Brandon Ingram in an attempt to trade up in the 2023 NBA draft.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, there is a growing sense of "exasperation" in the Pelicans organization over Williamson's "ongoing availability issues and overall approach," leading Stein to believe the Pels are "less inclined" to trade Ingram than Zion.

ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst said Wednesday on Get Up that the Pelicans would like to move up from No. 14 overall into the top five in the draft, potentially in hopes of selecting guard Scoot Henderson.

Windhorst added that there is some belief within the league that New Orleans could dangle Williamson in an effort to facilitate such a trade.

Ingram was the main piece New Orleans got back in the trade of Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers, and he has been a consistently productive player for the Pels over the past four seasons.

The one-time All-Star has averaged over 22 points per game in every season with the Pelicans. This past season, he averaged a career-high 24.7 points along with 5.8 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 1.4 three-pointers made per game, and he shot 48.4 percent from the field and 39.0 percent from beyond the arc.

Ingram, 25, is New Orleans' best pure scorer along with guard CJ McCollum. He is under contract for two more seasons after signing a five-year extension in 2020.

The one negative when it comes to Ingram relates to his durability, much like Williamson. He was limited to 55 games in 2021-22 and 45 games this past season.

In seven NBA seasons, Ingram has appeared in more than 62 games only once, which is perhaps cause for concern. Even so, his durability issues pale in comparison to Williamson's, as Zion has played in just 114 games over his four NBA seasons.

Williamson missed the entire 2021-22 season with a foot injury and all but 29 games last season primarily due to a hamstring ailment.

Zion is a dominant force when healthy, though, earning two career All-Star nods and averaging 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game last season.

Despite his injury history, the Pelicans signed Williamson to a five-year, $194.3 million contract extension last year, meaning he is under contract through the 2027-28 season.

Any team trading for Williamson, who will be 23 when the 2023-24 season begins, would be taking a huge risk due to the financial investment that has been made in him.

Moving him would also be a risk from New Orleans' perspective in case his injury issues dissipate. But if such a deal can net the Pelicans a player like Henderson to play with Ingram and McCollum, it could be worth it.

Landing Henderson would likely require a trade up to No. 2 or 3 overall, and it would also require the Charlotte Hornets or Portland Trail Blazers to have significant interest in Williamson.

If the Pelicans can't get a deal done, they'd perhaps be best off hoping for a healthy Williamson next season, as a core of Zion, Ingram and McCollum could potentially do damage in the Western Conference.