NBA Rumors: Brandon Ingram 'Passed' on 4-Year, $160M Pelicans Contract Before Trade

The New Orleans Pelicans made one final attempt to get Brandon Ingram to sign a long-term extension before he wound up getting traded to the Toronto Raptors on Feb. 6.

Per NBA insider Jake Fischer, Ingram "passed" on a four-year, $160 million offer from the Pelicans.

"League sources tell the The Stein Line that Ingram, in fact, passed on a four-year, $160 million deal from the Pelicans that would have kept him in New Orleans, meaning there was some serious money left on the proverbial table in his quest for more," Fischer wrote.

The standoff between Ingram and the Pelicans was one of the key storylines in the NBA during the offseason. ESPN's Shams Charania reported in December that the 27-year-old sought a near-max offer of $50 million per season in the summer.

Based on Fischer's report about the Pelicans' offer, it would seem to indicate they didn't even come all that close to matching that request.

Charania's report came after Ingram switched agents to join Klutch Sports Group after he was previously represented by Excel Sports management.

The Raptors wound up getting Ingram to sign an extension for similar money to what the Pelicans were offering. His agents told Charania and Bobby Marks on Tuesday that their client agreed to a three-year, $120 million deal with a player option for 2027-28.

Ingram spent six seasons with the Pelicans after being acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers as part of the Anthony Davis trade in July 2019. He averaged more than 20 points per game in each of his six years in New Orleans.

A sprained ankle has limited Ingram to just 18 games this season. He has yet to play for the Raptors since being traded.