Report: Brandon Ingram Eyed $50M Per Year in Pelicans Contract Talks amid Trade Buzz

As injuries have ravaged the New Orleans Pelicans to the point they are fighting to avoid having the worst record in the NBA, Brandon Ingram's future with the organization is going to be a focus leading up to the trade deadline.

Per ESPN's Shams Charania, Ingram previously sought $50 million per season in a contract extension from the Pelicans when the two sides had talks during the offseason.

It has been known that Ingram was seeking a max extension for some time. ESPN's Brian Windhorst noted over the summer that one of the reasons New Orleans was struggling to find a trade partner for the 27-year-old is because he wanted a new deal worth at least $200 million.

Charania cited the Minnesota Timberwolves as a team that had interest in Ingram during the offseason, but they no longer seem like viable option after using Karl-Anthony Towns' contrac to facilitate the trade with the New York Knicks for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.

As Ingram went through the entire offseason and start of the regular season without receiving the deal he was after, he decided to change his representation.

Charania reported on Dec. 1 that Ingram left Excel Sports Management to join Klutch Sports. The hope will be that his new representatives will be able to help him find the type of contract he has been seeking.

While it's certainly possible a team seeking an impact scorer will end up paying Ingram top-of-the-market money next offseason, his injury issues so far this season aren't helping his leverage.

A midseason trade doesn't seem like it's out of the question. Ingram's $36 million expiring salary could be very attractive to many teams leading up to the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

Ingram has missed seven of the Pelicans' last 10 games due to an ankle injury. The team announced on Sunday he will be out indefinitely after being diagnosed with a "high-grade low left ankle sprain."

The Pelicans seem headed toward a rebuild as things currently stand. Their 5-20 record is the second-worst mark in the NBA, ahead of only the Washington Wizards (3-19). CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy, Dejounte Murray, Herb Jones, Jose Alvardo and Zion Williamson have all missed at least 13 games so far.

When Ingram has played this season, he has been effective. The veteran forward is averaging 22.2 points on 46.5 percent shooting (37.4 percent three-point shooting), 5.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game in 18 starts.