Popular Rockets trade target suddenly looks very available

Sometimes in the NBA, the writing is on the wall.

Houston Rockets fans know the feeling. When James Harden was leaving, there was no ambiguity about what was happening. Harden was ready to leave, and he left.

Fans of the Pelicans are facing similar feelings. It doesn't appear that Brandon Ingram will spend much more time in the Big Easy.

One recent development could cut his time in New Orleans even shorter

The Rockets may have a window to acquire Ingram

It seems the Pelicans star was a no-show at a recent team-wide minicamp.

Daniel Theis didn't show up either. He's the team's newest signing. He's also likely home in Europe. More relevantly - he's Daniel Theis. He is not Brandon Ingram.

A team's stars are supposed to make face at these events. Ingram's absence is glaring. Who knows? He could be dealing with personal issues that kept him away from the camp.

Still, this isn't the first time we've heard rumors about Ingram. We can't confidently say that he's available, but it's feeling increasingly likely.

Should the Rockets want him?

Rockets should think carefully about a trade

We're on the fence.

Ingram is a very talented player. He's a tall wing who can create shots for himself with solid passing chops.

He also seems to prefer a playstyle that may not suit this Rockets team. In 2020-21, he attempted 6.1 threes per game. The next season, that number was reduced to 4.1 attempts per game. In 2023-24, he attempted just 3.8 threes per game.

For a Rockets team that's starved for spacing, that isn't ideal. As Ingram's threes have decreased, his midrange shooting has gone up. In a vacuum, that's fine - Ingram is a talented midrange scorer.

It doesn't bode well for an offense built around him and Alperen Sengun. Optimally, Sengun would be kicking the ball to an open three-point shooter if he draws a double on the low block. If Ingram is going to dribble into a mid-range jumper, he'll negate the advantage Sengun created.

Meanwhile, we wouldn't include Sengun in any deal for Ingram. Ingram had an Offensive Box Plus/Minus (OBPM) of 1.4 last year. Sengun was at 3.1. It's easy to make the case that he's already the better offensive player, and he's substantially younger.

That said, Ingram once attempted 6.1 threes per game. If he could get back to that volume, he could form a potent offense alongside Sengun. It feels likely that Jalen Green would be sent to New Orleans. In that event, the Rockets would still have a surplus of quality young defensive players to support their duo.

We're on the fence. Even swapping Green for Ingram one-for-one would be a risk. Green certainly has the potential be the better player, but there's no certainty with him. It seems Ingram is available, but the Rockets should only acquire him if he's available at a discount:

When the writing is on the wall, that sometimes happens.