Charlotte Hornets: 3 Trade targets that fit LaMelo Ball’s timeline

Three trade targets that fit LaMelo Ball’s timeline: Brandon Ingram – New Orleans Pelicans – Age: 24

Brandon Ingram is a supremely talented scorer and shooter who has the length to be a good on-ball defender and has made almost yearly improvements as a facilitator. He also has made an all-star team in the west, a very impressive feat to accomplish if you’re not around a top 10 player with how stacked the conference is.

Most teams wouldn’t want to lose a guy like that who is in the team’s control for another four years. In my opinion, the fit with Zion Williamson is slightly problematic and there might be a need for serious reshuffling to build a real contender around Williamson. I don’t know if the Hornets would have the best package in a situation like that, but they definitely can build a competitive one.

Other than this being an obvious talent grab for an elite scorer who fits the timeline, I think Ingram would also fit the Hornets scheme and personnel more naturally. First of all, the Pelicans’ most-used lineup last season was Eric Bledsoe, Lonzo Ball, Ingram, Williamson, and Steven Adams, with Josh Hart getting a lot of minutes off the bench. This is not nearly enough for Ingram to work off of in an ideal situation, especially with a career-low year for Bledsoe.

The Hornets as a fit boast a scheme that prioritizes ball movement and would find more versatility to shield him defensively, he and Williamson had plenty of lowlights in Stan Van Gundy’s scheme until it changed and some variance in shooting luck made them very good defensively later in the year. This could help him carry his weight on that front, while also being seamless offensively.

The way I see it, he can operate both as a main advantage creator going to his pull-up and in the role Rozier has excelled in the past two years as more of an elite play finisher, as he would probably be the best shooter on the team.

Acquiring premier talent in the NBA can be very difficult especially for a team that isn’t in a major market, so if the opportunity arises getting Ingram would be extremely tempting. The fact that in my opinion there is a clear vision in how he could be used in this team is just a bonus and a testament to coach Borrego’s work.