A 3-Team Trade to Move Brandon Ingram, Land Zach LaVine with Golden State Warriors

Brandon Ingram of the New Orleans Pelicans and Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls will be two of the most interesting players to watch in potential trades throughout the rest of the NBA offseason.

Both have been All-Stars in the past and are dynamic offensive wings who are 26 and 29 years old, respectively. They theoretically should have a number of teams pursuing their services, yet there hasn't been much reported interest due to their current max deal (LaVine) or their desire to sign one (Ingram).

Ingram wants a four-year, $208 million max extension tacked on to his expiring $36 million contract, something the Pelicans aren't interested in doing, according to The Athletic's William Guillory.

The Pelicans already have over $100 million committed to Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray for the 2025-26 season and need to extend Trey Murphy III, who will command between $20 million and $30 million annually on a new deal. There's simply no room for a max deal for Ingram, especially since the team still hasn't found a starting center following Jonas Valančiūnas' departure to the Washington Wizards.

In any potential Ingram trade, New Orleans needs to get a starting-level center back in return, preferably one who can space the floor next to Williamson.

The Bulls are officially rebuilding following the DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso trades. Shedding LaVine's remaining three-year, $138 million contract would help in the process.

There's a potential deal that could remove LaVine from the Bulls' books, find a new home for Ingram and land the Pelicans a new starting center, if a third team were to be involved.

The Golden State Warriors are the ideal third team to bring in to execute a deal. The Warriors should be hungry to improve this offseason after losing Klay Thompson and have the contracts to match up with Zach LaVine without adding salary or sending out young talent or draft picks.

Here's what a framework for the three-team trade would look like:

Chicago Bulls Receive: G/F Brandon Ingram, F Andrew Wiggins

Golden State Warriors Receive: G/F Zach LaVine

New Orleans Pelicans Receive: C Nikola Vučević, G Gary Payton II, C Kevon Looney, 2025 first-round pick (lottery-protected via Portland Trail Blazers), 2028 and 2029 second-round picks (via Chicago Bulls)

Let's break down what this trade would mean for all three teams.

Bulls Receive: G/F Brandon Ingram, F Andrew Wiggins

Bulls Lose: G/F Zach LaVine, C Nikola Vučević, 2025 first-round pick (lottery-protected via Portland Trail Blazers), 2028 and 2029 second-round picks

Brandon Ingram being traded to the Bulls is a win-win for Chicago, no matter how the 2024-25 season plays out.

If Ingram doesn't fit, holds out for a max deal next summer and/or suffers further injuries, the Bulls can treat him as an expiring $36 million salary. Along with Lonzo Ball, that's $57.4 million projected to come off the books in 2025, and the hefty contracts of Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević would also be gone.

Chicago would only have $90.1 million in guaranteed contracts with a 2025-26 salary-cap projection of $154.6 million, before factoring in a new contract for Josh Giddey. The Bulls would then be free to take on contracts to add draft picks to help with the rebuild or speed up the process by adding one of the marquee names in free agency. As of now, LeBron James, Jimmy Butler, Lauri Markkanen, Jamal Murray, Julius Randle, Myles Turner, Aaron Gordon and others will all be available.

Of course, if Ingram has another All-Star season in 2024-25, the Bulls might have a better chance keeping him as the only team that can offer him a five-year deal.

The 26-year-old averaged 20.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.7 assists and shot 49.2 percent overall last season in New Orleans and could be even better if not having to share the ball with two other 20-point-per-game scorers in Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum.

The Bulls have to take on Andrew Wiggins in this deal, but he's owed $53.3 million less over the next three years than LaVine ($84.7 million compared to $138 million).

After the dust settles, Chicago has a core of Coby White, Ingram, Patrick Williams, Giddey, Matas Buzelis, Jalen Smith and Ayo Dosunmu, all players age 26 or younger.

This trade gets rid of the Bulls' worst contracts (LaVine and Vučević) while giving them a year to determine how Ingram fits with the team.

Warriors Receive: G/F Zach LaVine

Warriors Lose: F Andrew Wiggins, G Gary Payton II, C Kevon Looney

Buddy Hield, De'Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson were nice offseason pickups, although there's no guarantee the Golden State Warriors are even a playoff team in the loaded West. After finishing 10th in the conference last year and losing Klay Thompson and Chris Paul, the Warriors could fall even further if the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets make their projected leaps.

If Golden State can't get Lauri Markkanen in a trade (or doesn't want to give up Jonathan Kuminga and all of its first-round picks), LaVine is a buy-low option who could come at a very affordable price.

The contracts of Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton II and Kevon Looney match up perfectly with LaVine this season ($43.4 million compared to $43 million). Wiggins is coming off back-to-back disappointing years and is still owed $84.7 million over the next three seasons. LaVine is the better player who can slide into Klay Thompson's old role as the team's starting shooting guard.

LaVine, 29, has averaged 24.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists and shot 38.9 percent from three over the past four seasons in Chicago, making a pair of All-Star Games. His contract is hefty, although the Warriors aren't in luxury tax hell anymore after waiving Paul and his non-guaranteed $30 million salary. The Warriors actually save $400,000 with this trade, moving them to about $1 million below the first apron.

A starting five of Stephen Curry, LaVine, Kuminga, Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis with Brandin Podziemski, Hield, Melton, Anderson and Moses Moody off the bench is a deep and talented core overall.

No team is going to give up real assets for LaVine given his contract. If the price is just a (lesser) bad contract and a few role players, he becomes a steal.

Pelicans Receive: C Nikola Vučević, G Gary Payton II, C Kevon Looney, 2025 first-round pick (lottery-protected via Portland Trail Blazers), 2028 and 2029 second-round picks (via Chicago Bulls)

Pelicans Lose: G/F Brandon Ingram

Potential trade offers for Brandon Ingram must not be good or else the New Orleans Pelicans would have moved him by now.

The Pels don't have a lot of leverage. Teams are scared of giving Ingram a max deal, New Orleans already has a backup in place (Trey Murphy III) and won't be able to keep all of its pieces together. New Orleans also desperately needs a center.

Vučević is the perfect temporary solution. The 33-year-old has two seasons remaining on his contract ($20 million in 2024-25 and $21.5 million in 2025-26), giving the Pelicans a former All-Star at the position while the team develops first-round pick Yves Missi to eventually take over.

Vučević averaged 18.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game last season and is enough of an outside shooting threat (34.1 percent from three for his career) that defenses won't be able to double-team Zion Williamson in the paint. This kind of added spacing should benefit Dejounte Murray and CJ McCollum as well.

New Orleans no longer needs to worry about paying Ingram on a long-term deal and will get $17.1 million in expiring money with Payton and Looney coming off the books next summer.

The Pels get three draft picks in the deal, including a first-rounder owed from Portland that is lottery-protected through 2028. After sending two first-round picks to the Atlanta Hawks in the deal for Murray, this gives New Orleans more draft ammunition to use in future trades.

The Pelicans enter the 2024-25 season with a starting five of Murray, McCollum, Herbert Jones, Williamson and Vučević with Murphy, Jose Alvarado, Jordan Hawkins, Payton, Looney, Missi and others off the bench.