Grade the trade: 3-team megadeal lands Brandon Ingram in Golden State, Lauri Markkanen in NOLA

The Golden State Warriors are probably the most active team in trade talks right now, at least when factoring in the scale of their ambition. After narrowly whiffing on Paul George, the Warriors have turned their attention to Utah Jazz All-Star Lauri Markkanen. It goes without saying that the 27-year-old would help the Dubs quite a bit.

If Markkanen resides beyond the Warriors' grasp, however, other options exist. Jimmy Butler is going to come up in midseason trade rumors if the Miami Heat bomb. Zach LaVine is basically available for free, so long as Golden State absorbs his undesirable contract. Less exciting alternatives, such as Cam Johnson or Tobias Harris, could also come up along the way.

Then, of course, there's the curious case of Brandon Ingram. The New Orleans Pelicans tried to trade the former All-Star this offseason to no avail. He's due for a $208 million extension that nobody wants to pay, but he's a 26-year-old, prototypically modern wing with an undeniably impressive track record. Golden State is a great fit for him on paper.

Ingram's rocky relationship with Steve Kerr during their shared time at the FIBA World Cup is a popular counterpoint when discussing the possibility of Ingram in Golden State. Clearly it's a concern and it could be what drives the Warriors away from the negotiating table. But, frankly, Kerr and Ingram are adults. The comments Ingram was upset about were a total nothingburger. You'd like to think they can work it out and bond over his positive impact on the Dubs' title odds.

Over at Last Word on Sports, Eamon Cassels tossed all the Warriors' trade rumors into a pot and made a glorious stew. He cooked up a three-team deal that ropes in the Jazz and the Pelicans, rerouting both Ingram and Markkanen to new homes.

Here are the full details:

A monster 3-team trade to land Brandon Ingram with Warriors, Lauri Markkanen with Pelicans, and Brandin Podziemski with Jazz

Golden State Warriors receive: Brandon Ingram
New Orleans Pelicans receive: Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler
Utah Jazz receive: Brandin Podziemski, Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney, Jordan Hawkins, 2025 first-round pick (NOP), 2025 first-round pick (GSW), 2026 first-round pick (NOP), 2031 first-round pick (NOP), 2027 first-round pick swap (NOP), 2030 second-round pick (NOP)

Let's start with the facilitators in the middle of this deal. Utah essentially coughs up its two best assets, Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler, for a smorgasbord of value from Golden State and New Orleans.

That is a lot to give up. It's one thing to get a haul for Markkanen, but to also sacrifice Kessler is a whole different level of tank. His sophomore campaign was a minor step back after breaking through as a rookie, but Kessler remains one of the best per-minute rim protectors in the NBA at 22 years old. His screen-setting and vertical presence at the rim ought to help the Pelicans offensively, too. New Orleans has been slacking in its search for a new starting center. Kessler would be a home run addition with plenty of upside.

The Jazz take on Andrew Wiggins' hefty salary. Ideally, he gets a chance to rebuild his value before Utah flips him for more draft assets down the road. Kevon Looney is a viable stopgap at center on an expiring contract. The real value adds, however, are Brandin Podziemski and Jordan Hawkins, who would both factor into Utah's long-term plans.

Podziemski is a known favorite of the Jazz front office and their desired centerpiece in a Warriors-Markkanen trade. Hawkins was productive as a rookie for New Orleans. He's not the most well-rounded player, but his movement shooting on the perimeter is undeniably valuable and he would plug seamlessly into Will Hardy's offense. Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier will develop as Utah's on-ball engines. Podz and Hawkins can both operate as connectors and off-ball scorers who tie the offense together.

Four first-round picks, a swap, and a second-round pick round out the package. That's a solid volume of assets. I'd do everything in my power to keep Kessler out of this trade, which Utah honestly should be able to accomplish. But, even so, the Jazz can't expect a much better better result here. This sets the stage nicely for their rebuild.

Jazz grade: B

As for New Orleans, what a deal. The Pelicans are sitting on a mountain of draft picks, which allows David Griffin to operate aggressively, and maybe even to strategically overspend. This isn't even an overspend, though. Parting with Ingram, Hawkins, and a bunch of picks for Markkanen straight-up would be a win. Landing Kessler, too — with his market reporting sitting around two first-round picks — puts this over the top.

The Pelicans address their two biggest needs in one fell swoop. Kessler replaces Jonas Valanciunas as the starting center and anchors the Pelicans defense with an elite rim protector. Herb Jones and Dejounte Murray are already high-level defensive playmakers on the perimeter. Imagine the risks they can take with Kessler deterring drives and walling off the paint.

As for Markkanen, he's a huge upgrade over Ingram, both in a vacuum and in terms of fit. Ingram's on-ball tendencies chafed against Zion Williamson's slashing last season. Dejounte Murray's arrival will only exacerbate those concerns. Markkanen, on the other hand, is one of the league's best off-ball scorers. He's a true 7-footer who can fly around screens into movement 3s, move freely without the basketball, and attack seams in the defense off the catch. He would absolutely murder next to Zion. What a pairing.

This would put New Orleand firmly in the contenders circle, maybe on the same level as OKC, Minnesota, and Dallas in the West assuming all goes well on the health front. Huge, huge victory.

Pelicans grade: A

As for Golden State... the appeal is understandable. Let's assume we can put the Team USA beef aside. Brandon Ingram would help the Warriors. It's a great fit for him individually. Steph demands so much attention and Golden State has long lacked a wing who can create his own offense and stress a defense off a live dribble.

Ingram can run pick-and-rolls, buoy the halfcourt offense, and thrive out of two-man actions with Curry. The Warriors would make it work and Ingram would probably put up numbers in line with his 2020 All-Star campaign.

Now, is paying Ingram $200 million-plus on his next contract a good investment? He's 26 and should perform well over the course of his prime, but the postseason track record is a concern and Ingram isn't the most consistent 3-point shooter or defender. He has serious flaws and Golden State would need to embrace those.

Podziemski is reportedly off the table in Markkanen trade talks right now. It's hard to imagine Golden State putting him on the table for Ingram, even if it means sacrificing less on the margins. The Warriors only give up one first-round pick and remove Wiggins' ghastly salary from the books, which should make Ingram's look better by comparison. But Podziemski is the real deal, a winner through and through, and his ceiling could very well top Ingram's one day. It's hard to find 6-foot-5 guards with Podziemski's shooting touch, feel, rebounding, and defensive chops.

Golden State's motivation here is understandable, but sacrificing Podz is a risk and I'd rather give up the extra assets for Markkanen if push comes to shove.

Warriors grade: C