NBA free agency: Brandon Ingram agrees to $158m maximum extension with Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans have ended Brandon Ingram's stint in free agency after agreeing to a five-year, $158 million maximum contract extension. The 23-year-old was one of the biggest names available in free agency this season but the Pelicans were in no mood to let the 2016 NBA Draft's second overall pick walk away. Ingram flourished last season, having arrived in New Orleans in a deal that saw Anthony Davis join the Los Angeles Lakers. 

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Brandon Ingram extension: Pelicans offer five-year $158 million maximum contract 

According to ESPN's NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski, Brandon Ingram has extended his stay in New Orleans after agreeing on a maximum contract according to his agents, Jeff Schwartz and Jordan Gertler of Excel Sports. The 23-year-old set career-highs by averaging 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game last season and was named the NBA's Most Improved Player while becoming an All-Star for the first time in his career.

The former Lakers man was eligible to sign an extension with the Pelicans before last season but the two sides could not come to terms as the former Lakers man hadn't played a game since an injury that curtailed his 2018-19 season.

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Speaking to ESPN in January, Ingram had revealed that the Pelicans hadn't offered him an extension as they wanted to track his progress after his injury, a decision which he respected. Later in August, the 23-year-old who had entered NBA free agency had named New Orleans as a top choice despite the Pelicans being eliminated from playoff contention in the Orlando bubble.

The former Lakers man said that the franchise was a special place with a lot of good people and he was enjoying his time with the team. The Brandon Ingram contract extension means that the 23-year-old will return to a restructured Pelicans roster which features Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Zion Williamson as the longest-tenured players.

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The Pelicans are also set to add centre Steven Adams and point guard Eric Bledsoe in a four-team trade while having drafted Alabama point guard Kira Lewis 13th overall in Wednesday's draft. Incidentally, the 23-year-old had passed on a modest contract extension last season from the Pelicans. Wojnarowski states that Ingram counted on a bigger role to elevate his performance and earning power and sealed both with a Western Conference All-Star berth and a max contract. 

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Brandon Ingram draft class: Pelicans star follows Pascal Siakam, Ben Simmons, Jamal Murray in signing max contracts 

Brandon Ingram's contract extension made him the fourth player from the 2016 NBA Draft to earn a max contract in the NBA. No. 2 pick Ingram follows in the footsteps of Pascal Siakam (No. 27), Ben Simmons (No. 1) and Jamal Murray (No. 7) in signing max deals, after his five-year $158 million contract extension.

The trio signed their max contracts last season, all extending their stays with their draft teams. Siakam committed to the Toronto Raptors in a four-year $130 million deal, while Simmons extended his deal with the Philadelphia 76ers for five years, bagging $167 million. Jamal Murray also continued his stay with the Denver Nuggets signing a five-year, $170 million max-contract extension in July last year. 

(Image Courtesy: NBA.com)