Dark horse team linked to Brandon Ingram amid unexpected Pelicans drama

As the Detroit Pistons look to climb out of the basement of the NBA, they may look to another franchise that is shopping their star. According to James L. Edwards of The Athletic, Brandon Ingram "isn’t a far-fetched possibility" when it comes to ending up in a Detroit Pistons uniform this offseason.

The Pelicans could be looking to trade Ingram this offseason as the franchise looks to possibly prioritize Trey Murphy III. Ingram is under contract next year but extension eligible. Given how things went this season they may not want to pay him what he'll be asking for and could be looking to make a trade before they risk losing him or their trade leverage.

This all comes after the squad wasn't able to make it out of the first round this season and hasn't made it to the second round of the playoffs during the Zion Williamson-Ingram era.

Ingram, who averaged 20 points per game on 49 percent shooting this season. While Ingram he was an above-average starter this season, he was unable to fill the role that the Pelicans needed and continue to need in the Zion Williamson era. As the Pelicans shop Ingram this offseason, will the Pistons be the one to pick up the wing?

Will the Pistons be able to trade for Brandon Ingram this offseason?

With Detroit being able to trade some of their late-decade first-round picks, it's likely that this will not be the final rumor connecting the Pistons and the 26-year-old wing. The Pistons may prefer to wait until the first wave of free agency plays out to see if they can address their needs in other ways but they have the contracts and picks to make a deal. And while the franchise might want to get free agent upgrades rather than opt for trade upgrades, the squad is unlikely to get any good free agents without overpaying them. This might mean that the Pistons might opt to trade for Ingram and then extend him down the line once he has bought into the culture.