NBA Rumors: Pelicans 'Think Very Highly of' Brandon Ingram amid Contract Buzz

Brandon Ingram and the New Orleans Pelicans find themselves in an interesting position this offseason.

With two years left on his contract, the Pelicans could offer Ingram a three-year, $145 million extension. Not too shabby.

But Ingram also has supermax eligibility remaining, meaning that if he makes an All-NBA team this upcoming season he would be eligible for a five-year extension worth an estimated $285 million.

That would be enormous money for a player who only has one All-Star berth in his career, and even the three-year pact is good money for a player who has struggled with injuries throughout his career. But he reportedly has plenty of fans in New Orleans.

"They think very highly of him there," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said on his Hoop Collective podcast Monday (56-minute mark).

Ingram is still just 25 and has averaged at least 22 points per game in each of the past four seasons. He puts the ball in the net, and the potential of an Ingram-Zion Williamson pairing—if each could actually stay healthy—is promising for New Orleans.

It just remains to be seen how much that promise is actually worth.