NBA Rumors: Brandon Ingram skipped Pelicans voluntary minicamp amid trade rumors | News, scores, highlights, stats & rumors

Brandon Ingram’s already uncertain future with the New Orleans Pelicans is more unclear than ever as he awaits a resolution to his contractual situation and persistent trade rumors.

According to The Athletic’s Will GuilloryIngram was one of two Pelicans players who skipped a voluntary mini-camp in California last week.

Daniel Theis, who signed a one-year contract in July, was the other New Orleans player who did not participate in the week-long voluntary workout.

Guillory noted that the Pelicans “believed” Ingram would be there.

During the week the Pelicans held their voluntary mini-camp, Ingram posted a video on X featuring a pastor giving a sermon about “staying away from environments where people don’t know your true worth.”

One of the biggest sticking points for any team interested in Ingram is money. Ingram owes $36 million next season in the final year of his five-year, $158.2 million contract.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported in July that Ingram’s team is pursuing a contract extension of up to four years worth $210 million, but the Pelicans have “made it clear” they won’t go that far to sign him.

Stein also noted that other teams have “considered” trading Ingram, but none of them wanted to give him a contract for the amounts he wanted.

This looks to be a pivotal season for the Pelicans, who have made the playoffs in two of the last three years, but lost in the first round both times.

Zion Williamson is having the healthiest season of his career with 70 starts, although a hamstring injury he sustained during the play-in tournament kept him from playing the entire first round against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Ingram enters his sixth season with the Pelicans after being acquired in a trade from the Los Angeles Lakers. He has averaged at least 20 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game in each of the past five seasons.