Lakers  Pass on Reunion Trade for $178 Million Star.

Los Angeles Lakers fans are still waiting for a big move this offseason, but it may never come. The Athletic’s Jovan Buha reported that the Lakers are expected to be patient in making their next move.

One potential trade that can likely be ruled out is a reunion with New Orleans Pelicans star Brandon Ingram. The Lakers insider noted that the Lakers are unlikely to make a move for Ingram or Utah Jazz big man Lauri Markkanen.

“Right now, a blockbuster deal, I just don’t see it. I don’t see [the Lakers] having enough for Lauri Markkanen,” the analyst explained in a July 16, 2024, edition of the “Buha’s Block” podcast. “I’ve not heard of any interest with Brandon Ingram. So, I don’t see them going for those two guys.”

Let’s dive into the Lakers’ next potential moves, and why Ingram is an unlikely trade target.

The Lakers Are Unlikely to Strike a Trade to Bring Back Brandon Ingram: Insider

Ingram is heading into the final season of a five-year, $158.2 million contract. The Pelicans star appears to have his eyes on a new lucrative deal.

“The Pelicans, league sources confirmed to Yahoo Sports, have not presented Brandon Ingram with an offer near his full maximum contract, and there does not appear to be a true option for Ingram to find that figure around the league now that Sacramento landed DeRozan,” Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer detailed in a July 15, article titled “The new CBA has changed the game, and teams are adjusting to a new landscape.”

The Lakers dealt Ingram to the Pelicans in 2019 as part of a blockbuster three-team trade that landed Anthony Davis.