It took longer than expected, but the New Orleans Pelicans finally locked down their No. 1 offseason priority.
Many figured it would be a matter of minutes before the Pelicans and restricted free agent Brandon Ingram reached an agreement on a new long-term deal once free agency officially began on Friday night. Instead, it took a few days.
But in the end, New Orleans and Ingram came to terms on a five-year, $158 million deal Tuesday afternoon, sources confirmed to The Athletic. ESPN was the first to report the news.
NBA offseason: Free agency and trades | Tracker
Ingram, 23, was the primary piece in the trade package New Orleans received from the Los Angeles Lakers last year in the Anthony Davis trade that introduced a new era in Pelicans basketball. While many were excited about Ingram’s potential with a different team, very few expected him to be as good as he was in his first year in the Crescent City.
Ingram took over as the…