As the trade deadline in February approached, the New Orleans Pelicans finalized a deal sending Brandon Ingram to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Kelly Olynyk, Bruce Brown, a first-round draft pick for 2026, and a second-round draft pick for 2031. Additionally, Ingram received a three-year contract extension worth $120 million from the Raptors, which resolved a previous dispute over contract terms with the Pelicans.
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Another potential deal was discussed that might have brought a different Duke alumnus, and former teammate of Zion Williamson at Duke, to New Orleans.
In a recent report on Substack by Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, it was revealed that RJ Barrett was also a topic of discussion in trade talks. The Raptors, facing financial pressure with their current team setup, are expected to re-enter trade discussions involving Barrett this upcoming summer.
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“Given the financial constraints, the Raptors are anticipated to be major players in this summer’s trade market, potentially using RJ Barrett’s $27 million salary as a pivotal factor in their salary cap calculations. It has been confirmed that Barrett was indeed part of the discussions with New Orleans in the trade talks that eventually resulted in Ingram’s transfer to the Raptors for Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, and a pair of future draft picks,” sources explained.
Barrett, once a star at Duke alongside Zion Williamson, who was recognized as the National Player of the Year and selected first overall in the draft, was also highly regarded, being picked third overall by the New York Knicks. The two nearly reunited in New Orleans, but the Pelicans opted for a different trade package instead.
Bruce Brown is approaching free agency this summer, while Kelly Olynyk has only one more year remaining on his contract. This consideration for financial flexibility and the acquisition of future draft picks were significant for New Orleans, outweighing an investment of $57 million over two years in Barrett.
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