New Brandon Ingram update shines light on Heat’s interest in All-Star forward

The Miami Heat tried to acquire DeMar DeRozan and kicked the tires on Lauri Markkanen this offseason, but there’s no indication that they are interested in Brandon Ingram. And it seems they are not alone.

With few star players available, Ingram is the hottest name on the trade market. The New Orleans Pelicans forward and former All-Star is a talented scorer who averaged 23-5-5 over the last five seasons. There should be a bunch of teams calling the Pelicans about a deal. Apparently, they aren’t.

Ingram is entering the final year of his contract and is reportedly seeking a new deal that could pay him more than $50 million annually. He is eligible for a four-year, $208 million contract extension. If he does not sign an extension, he will be a free agent next summer.

Brandon Ingram’s contract situation is warding off potential trade suitors, including the Miami Heat.

The situation in New Orleans is reaching a crisis. According to The Athletic, Ingram didn’t show up to a Pelicans minicamp last week. On his Instagram page, Ingram posted a video of a pastor speaking about the importance of “staying away from environments where people don’t know the true value of you.” This has fueled speculation that Ingram is trying to force his way out of New Orleans.

There’s been no reported interest from the Heat. Besides Ingram’s contract, his stylistic fit could also be a concern. Like Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, Ingram takes a lot of his shots from the mid-range – something the Heat need to do less of, not more. He doesn’t put pressure on the rim and is an inconsistent defender. 

Perhaps the Heat could overlook the stylistic concerns if it wasn’t for Ingram’s contract. The Heat are already facing a looming contract decision with Butler. Unlike Butler, who had suitors for a max contract this summer, there doesn’t seem to a be team willing to pay Ingram franchise-player money.

"Based on how this offseason has gone, it’s pretty clear that the rest of the league doesn’t believe Ingram’s value is as high as he thinks it is," Guillory wrote. "He’s one of the most talented forwards in the league, in the prime of his career, and he’s being treated like a guy nobody wants."

It’s not that nobody wants Ingram. It’s that no team wants to inherit Ingram’s next contract. Not because he’s not a good player, but because he’s not worth max money in today’s salary-cap landscape.

Under the more restrictive salary cap structure, teams have to be more discerning about which players they commit maximum contracts to. Players who used to get an easy max contract, like Ingram, won’t anymore. Ingram is a good player. One of the most talented forwards in the league. But he’s not good enough to be one of the top two players on a championship team, which is what he wants to get paid like.

For the Heat, the combination of on-court fit and contract concerns makes trading for Ingram too risky. Evidently, other teams have come to the same conclusion.