Pelicans Spurs Basketball
New Orleans Pelicans' Brandon Ingram (14) looks to pass as San Antonio Spurs' Jakob Poeltl looks on during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2019, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)

New Orleans Pelicans star Brandon Ingram saw his value jump leaps and bounds during the 2019/20 season, following his switch from the Los Angeles Lakers last year.

The 22-year-old showed lots of potential whilst in a Lakers uniform but never quite hit the heights he was expected to and, playing a season next to LeBron James hardly helped his case. Couple that with time spent on the sidelines due to injury and suspension, it was really a hopeless case for the small forward. He simply had to leave L.A.

With free agency approaching, Ingram is now expected to be one of the players who should land a max deal ahead of next season – whenever that is.

Per Danny Leroux of The Athletic, the 6ft 7in attacker is likely to get his bank either through an offer sheet or by re-signing with New Orleans.

“There are no clear already established All-NBA superstars in this wing class, but Brandon Ingram (23) stands out as by far the most likely to get his maximum either through an offer sheet or just re-signing directly with the Pelicans,” Leroux wrote on Wednesday. “The forward blossomed in his age-22 season, scoring 24 points per game with a remarkably efficient 59 percent True Shooting, by far the best of his career. The real eye-opener was Ingram’s three-point shooting because that makes him a better fit on a variety of teams and makes a lucrative offer sheet a virtual certainty.”

It was previously reported that the Pelicans will match whatever offer Ingram receives from other teams. Such is their desire to keep him a part of the exciting cast around rookie sensation Zion Williamson.