5 Brandon Ingram trade destinations if Pelicans split up star duo

4. Magic can go all-in on tall creators with Brandon Ingram trade

Quietly, the Orlando Magic are positioned as well as any team to land an All-Star via trade. It's a bit naive to expect the LeBron James or Paul George tier of free agent to consider Orlando, but Ingram as a trade target makes perfect sense. He is within Orlando's price range, both in terms of trade ammo and financially. The Magic won't have to pay Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner for a couple years. Markelle Fultz is off the books in the offseason. So is Jonathan Isaac. The eventual Ingram extension should be no problem.

It's an enticing fit on paper. The Magic are the torchbearers for the modern NBA philosophy — the intersection of size and skill is paramount. Their primary creators are essentially two 6-foot-10 wings. Why not toss one more in the mix? Ingram gives Orlando another much-needed source of halfcourt playmaking without compromising the Magic's unique size advantage.

Let's lay out the hypothetical starting five — Wendell Carter, Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Brandon Ingram, Jalen Suggs. That team is a top-five defense, with the ability to switch at every position and enough length to rival Minnesota. On offense, the Magic can mismatch hunt relentlessly while building their scheme around three productive slashers. Banchero, Ingram, and Wagner can all create advantages on the perimeter. Carter and Suggs are high-feel connectors and bankable spacers. The Magic go from a fun story and a play-in team to a legitimate power in the East.

Ingram gets to go to the weaker conference too, as an added bonus. The Magic need to prioritize high-leverage shooters elsewhere on the roster, but essentially replacing the Fultz and Isaac minutes with Ingram already goes a long way toward addressing that problem. It's easily one of the more fun Ingram spots conceptually.