It wasn't about the money: Brandon Ingram declined the same deal from the Pelicans he just signed with the Raptors

Just before the NBA trade deadline, the New Orleans Pelicans traded forward Brandon Ingram to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, a 2026 first-round draft pick and a 2031 second-round draft pick.

The 27-year-old spent six seasons in New Orleans, where he posted the fifth-most career points in franchise history. He averaged 20 points in each of those six seasons, tying Anthony Davis for the franchise record. Ingram was seeking a long-term contract extension for some time, but a deal never got hammered out. After failing to agree on terms, the Pelicans opted to trade Ingram, who was set to be a free agent after this season, while they still could.

Shortly after the trade, the Raptors signed Ingram to a three-year, $120 million contract extension which includes a player option in 2027-28.

Brandon Ingram declined similar offers from Pelicans before Raptors deal

Ingram previously turned down even larger contract offers from the Pelicans, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer. New Orleans offered the former No. 2 overall pick a four-year, $160 million contract, which carries the same annual average of $40 million as his new three-year deal with the Raptors.

Ingram’s motivations aren’t quite clear. His value could have dropped as the trade market began to dwindle down, or he may prefer the shorter three-year deal opposed to the four-year contract. Ingram may be able to land another sizable contract before turning 29 years old. The projected salary cap for 2027-28 will rise more than $30 million above 2025-26 projections, according to Fischer. 

"It's likewise true that Ingram's new deal with the Raptors almost certainly wouldn't have surfaced in free agency this summer with so few teams on course to hold significant cap space and, in the end, really only two teams chasing him before last Thursday's NBA Trade deadline: Toronto and Atlanta,” Fisher wrote.

Ingram simply may not have wanted to return to New Orleans. A previous report suggested that he turned down an offer of $50 million per year. Still, his chances of winning a championship in Toronto aren’t that great either.

The Raptors have managed an underwhelming 17-38 record heading into the All-Star break, and their new forward may not be available to help them anytime soon. Ingram suffered a significant high-grade left low ankle sprain in early December, and he has been sidelined ever since.

When healthy, the forward has shown impressive talent. In 18 games this season, he has averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists. Ingram provides Toronto with a shot creator to pair with Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickly and RJ Barrett. The Raptors are hoping that young core can propel them back to success in upcoming years.