With the NBA trade deadline just over 48 hours away, the pressure is rising for the Warriors to make a move that will improve their roster for the second half of the 2024-25 season.
And with Luka Dončić and LeBron James now Lakers teammates and De'Aaron Fox paired with Victor Wembanyama on the Spurs, the hunt to find Steph Curry a right-hand man has intensified, with Golden State reportedly trying to land a big-name star such as disgruntled Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler or a potential reunion with Kevin Durant.
But if those pursuits fall short, the Warriors seem to have a backup plan. Golden State has "examined the prospect" of acquiring New Orleans Pelicans All-Star forward Brandon Ingram, NBA insider Marc Stein and Yahoo! Sports NBA reporter Jake Fischer reported in a column posted Tuesday morning, citing league sources.
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"Although Ingram did not have great success under Warriors coach Steve Kerr during their late summer run together at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, we've been told not to discount the possibility that the Warriors could pursue the one-time former All-Star playing out his current contract on an expiring $36 million salary if Golden State cannot land one of its higher-profile targets," Stein and Fischer wrote.
Ingram, 27, has played just 18 games in 2024-25 after being sidelined with a high-ankle sprain since Dec. 7. In limited action, he's averaging 22.2 points on 46.5-percent shooting from the field and 37.4 percent from 3-point range, with 5.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists in 33.1 minutes this season.
The former No. 2 overall pick has averaged at least 22 points in five of his last six seasons, and he would help the Warriors with a needed offensive boost alongside Curry. But injuries have kept him off the floor and could be a concern. He hasn't played more than 64 games since his rookie 2016-17 season when he played 79. Since being with New Orleans, he's played 62, 61, 55, 45 and 64 games over the last five years, respectively, and 18 this campaign.
New Orleans hasn't given an update on Ingram's progress since late December, and The Athletic's Will Guillory shared on Jan. 23 that he has not been cleared for contact drills yet.
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Ingram missing 26 games before Thursday's deadline could decrease his trade value, so the Warriors might not have to give up as much as they would have if he were fully healthy in a potential package.
Still, it appears their primary focus is on landing a big-name star such as Durant or Butler. But with that approach falling short on several different occasions over the past year-plus, Ingram still could be in the picture.