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LeBron, Shaq and Durant highlight NBA free agency’s greatest moments
SportsPulse: NBA free agency is upon us and what better way to celebrate than to call in USA TODAY Sports’ Jeff Zillgitt to highlight some of the most memorable player movement in league history.
After cementing himself as the NBA’s most improved player, Brandon Ingram and the New Orleans Pelicans showed they remain committed toward fostering that growth.
Ingram agreed to a five-year, $158 million max deal to re-sign with the Pelicans, a person familiar with the details told USA TODAY Sports. That person was granted anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the deal publicly. Signings don’t become official until Sunday at noon ET.
Ingram joined Ben Simmons and Jamal Murray as the third member of the 2016 NBA draft to receive a max contract.
With Ingram being a restricted free agent, the Pelicans could have matched any offer sheet that he received. But the Pelicans sought to give Ingram a max deal to send a message that they viewed him as a franchise player.
The Pelicans were strongly expected to retain Ingram after he made his first All-Star appearance and won the league’s most improved player award in his fourth season and first overall in New Orleans. After the Pelicans acquired Ingram in an off-season trade involving Anthony Davis, Ingram posted career highs in points (23.8), 3-point shooting (39.2%), free-throw shooting (85.1%), rebounds (6.1) and assists (4.2). Ingram admittedly felt more comfortable playing with the Pelicans’ young roster than he did during his final season with LeBron James on the Lakers. Unlike his first two years in the NBA with the Lakers, Ingram also had less pressure to grow.
Ingram fulfilled this job description while staying mostly healthy and overcoming a blood clot in his right arm that sidelined him for the final 19 games of his last season with the Lakers. Though doctors determined Ingram’s diagnosis was neither life-threatening or career-ending, Ingram had surgery to remove a rib, strengthen his back muscles and improve his posture to ensure the passage of his veins opened up. After spending one month immobilized and another four months in physical therapy, Ingram began working out about a month before training camp started.
Since then, the Pelicans have viewed Ingram as a franchise pillar in numerous ways. He has complemented rookie Zion Williamson with his playmaking. He has developed a fundamentally strong game with a presence in the post, behind the perimeter and at the basket. And he has remained hungry to further develop his game.
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