Community Shootaround: Brandon Ingram’s Outlook

The Lakers have bounced back from a slow start to insert themselves directly in the middle of the Western Conference playoff picture, with their 18-12 record currently placing them fourth in the conference.

However, while things are mostly running smoothly in Los Angeles, the fit of top prospect Brandon Ingram alongside LeBron James has been the subject of some concern. Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer explored the topic last week, and Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report revisited it on Monday, speaking to executives and scouts around the NBA to get their impressions on the pairing.

“I’m still a believer in Ingram,” one video analyst told Pincus. “He’s still learning what he can do on the court. It’s just a little harder to find yourself when you’re playing with LeBron.”

Another executive essentially agreed with that assessment, pointing out that Ingram has had a harder time adjusting to LeBron’s arrival than players like Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart because they move better without the ball than Ingram does.

While Ingram, who is still just 21 years old, may eventually get more comfortable alongside LeBron, it will be interesting to see whether the Lakers have the patience to go through that learning process. The club has thus far been unwilling to include any of its top young prospects – Ingram, Kuzma, Hart, or Lonzo Ball – in trade packages for short-term help, but if a star becomes available, Ingram would be the sort of “1-A” prospect that could headline a package, one executive suggested to Pincus.

“The Lakers are in win-now mode,” an NBA player agent told Pincus. “Everything is on the table to appease LeBron. They’re going to make moves to bring in vets who fit around [James]. … I think they wait until the summer to look into a big move involving a player like Ingram. That gives them more time to get the best deal.”

The Lakers could ultimately use their cap room to add a second star in free agency in 2019, and may not need to use Ingram or their other youngsters as trade chips. However, if L.A. strikes out on the open market or wants to acquire a third star, Ingram is positioned to become a prime trade candidate.

What do you think? Does Ingram have a long-term future in Los Angeles? If so, will he and LeBron eventually develop into a complementary duo? Or do you envision the Lakers trading Ingram within the next year or two?

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