NBA Rumors: Brandon Ingram Skipped Pelicans' Voluntary Minicamp amid Trade Buzz

Brandon Ingram's already murky future with the New Orleans Pelicans is even more unclear than ever as he waits for a resolution to his contract situation and ongoing trade rumors.

Per The Athletic's Will Guillory, Ingram was one of only two Pelicans players who skipped a voluntary minicamp last week in California.

Daniel Theis, who signed a one-year deal in July, was the other New Orleans player who didn't attend the week-long voluntary workout.

Guillory noted the Pelicans "believed" Ingram would be in attendance.

During the week when the Pelicans held their voluntary minicamp, Ingram posted a video on X featuring a pastor delivering a sermon about "staying away from environments where people don't know the true value of you."

Ingram was one of the most-talked-about potential trade candidates when the offseason began, but it's becoming increasingly unlikely a deal will happen before the start of the regular season.

One of the main sticking points for any team interested in Ingram is money. Ingram is owed $36 million next season in the final year of his five-year, $158.2 million contract.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported in July that Ingram's camp is seeking a four-year max extension worth $210 million, but the Pelicans "have made it clear" they won't go that far to sign him.

Stein also noted that other teams "have explored" trading for Ingram, but none of them have been willing to give him a contract at the numbers he wants.

This is shaping up to be a pivotal season for the Pelicans. They have made the playoffs in two of the past three years, but they lost in the first round both times.

Zion Williamson is coming off the healthiest season of his career with 70 starts, though a hamstring injury suffered in the play-in tournament kept him out for the entire first-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Ingram is entering his sixth season with the Pelicans after being acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers. He has averaged at least 20 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game in each of the past five seasons.