1 Player to trade for from each team the Trail Blazers have faced

2. Brandon Ingram, New Orleans Pelicans

This came down to two players for New Orleans: Jordan Hawkins and Brandon Ingram. Hawkins' shooting would fit in seamlessly in Portland. But he's been playing well to start the season, averaging 18 points and 6.3 rebounds per game on 53/53/100 shooting splits, so his trade value may be too high to justify a deal for Portland, especially after Dejounte Murray's brutal hand injury.

Ingram is also off to a solid start to the season, including a clutch and difficult contested fadeaway jumper at the elbow over Anfernee Simons to win the game for the Pelicans, 105-103, in their first matchup.

But Ingram is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2024-25 season. The Pelicans may have less leverage in a potential BI trade since they want to avoid letting him walk in free agency and getting nothing in return.

Ingram would fit in perfectly with the Blazers and provide them with plenty of length and versatility alongside Deni Avdija. It would be a risky deal for Portland, as he may decide he wants to play for a contender and leave at the end of the season. But he could also enjoy being the clearcut go-to player on the Blazers, and the risk likely would be manageable in terms of assets required to acquire the Duke wing.

The Pelicans desperately lack size, particularly at their center position, which was especially evident in the Blazers' first win of the season over them in their rematch. They may be interested in a swap centered around Ingram and Deandre Ayton, with the Blazers also giving away a few more assets to close the deal.