LeBron held the key to unlocking All-Star Game

Brandon Ingram did not attend a week-long voluntary minicamp in California last week, sources tell The Athletic. Ingram and Daniel Theis were the only members of the Pelicans’ roster who did not attend. The Pelicans believed Ingram would be there, but he never showed up for the camp held by his teammates.

While Ingram would like an extension with the Pelicans, they are not in a position to offer his four-year maximum of $207.8 million. The Pelicans already have Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray and CJ McCollum on significant contracts, while Trey Murphy is also eligible to sign a rookie scale extension.

The trade market for Ingram is also soft as rival teams are hesitant to earmark a contract for him in the range he will seek. Ingram, who counts Jeff Schwartz and Jordan Gertler as his agents, will be an unrestricted free agent in 2025 if an extension is not reached.

New Orleans is prepared to play out the season with Ingram on the roster and determine the fit of a starting lineup of him alongside Williamson, Murray, Murphy and Herb Jones.

Despite Ingram’s absence from the minicamp, he remains highly thought of figure within the franchise.

Ingram and the Pelicans quickly agreed to a rookie scale extension in November 2020 worth $158 million over five seasons. Ingram did not receive a player option for the fifth season of the deal, which was a topic of intrigue after the extension was first reported.