What are the Pelicans going to do with Brandon Ingram?

After trading for Dejounte Murray, the Pelicans have a mismatched collection of talent. What next?

The New Orleans Pelicans are no stranger to oddly-shaped rosters. Mismatched talent has been a hallmark of the Zion Williamson era. Their current collection of players is no exception.

After a mostly healthy Zion season and a playoff appearance, they sent away two first round draft picks for Dejounte Murray — hoping that the former All-Star guard can be their final piece. It’s a talent play, and Murray should be a good addition for relatively good value.

But in the process, they dealt stretch five Larry Nance Jr. to Atlanta as matching salary and let Jonas Valanciunas walk in free agency. Consider their top six players:

PG: Dejounte Murray

SG: CJ McCollum

SF: Trey Murphy III

SF: Herb Jones

PF: Brandon Ingram

C: Zion Williamson (?!)

What is this team!

Their current centers are 21st-overall pick Yves Missi and veteran pickup Daniel Theis. At least one of the six players above will have to come off the bench and I have no idea who that could be.

There are moves to be made here. Murray, McCollum, Ingram, and Williamson all need the ball to be effective. None of them are above-average defenders. The fit between Ingram and Williamson has proven to be rocky at best.

Ingram is a particularly tricky fit. He’s a high-volume scorer who operates on his own time, jab-stepping into midrange looks. The majority of his shots last year came in the midrange. He’s not the kind of player who will drive and kick off of a pick and roll, or take catch-and-shoot threes. Instead, he holds the ball as others stand around.

Tough shotmakers are valuable. But Williamson is a better number-one option than Ingram, and doesn’t make sense as an off-ball guy. Murray is a good playmaker, but runs a ton of pick and rolls and prefers pull-up midrangers to quick-trigger threes. Ingram’s methodical self-creation duplicates what his teammates already do.

The lack of a center hovers over everything. There is precious little rim protection on this team. That was already a problem last year, as Valanciunas frequently got played off the court, but now the center position is a gaping black hole. Herb Jones cannot solve all of these problems by himself.

The solution, hypothetically, is trading Ingram for a center. That solves all of their problems, right? It simplifies everybody else’s role, and Ingram’s talent should bring back a solid starter.

But look around the league, and an Ingram trade does not jump off the page. Some teams are handicapped by the second apron’s salary cap restrictions. Others have already made their moves this summer. It’s hard to find an Ingram fit around the league.

As a thought exercise, here are some teams:

• Cleveland Cavaliers: They have two starting-caliber centers and a need at wing. Perfect, right? But Jarrett Allen is a valuable two-way center who has made an All-Star team. Ingram would only take the ball out of the hands of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, two guards who already have an issue amplifying each other. I don’t think Cleveland does it. Verdict: No

• Orlando Magic: They have three capable centers and need offense. They also already have Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, young stars who aren’t deadeye shooters. It’s a tough trade to assemble salary-wise, too. Verdict: No

• Detroit Pistons: They could do anything and I wouldn’t be totally shocked. But they’ve already signed Tobias Harris this offseason, potentially (mercifully?) putting them out of the running. Verdict: Probably not

• Chicago Bulls: It would have to be for Zach LaVine, and that’s a no-go for the Pels. It’s a poor basketball fit and a dangerous contract. Plus, Chicago doesn’t have any desirable centers. Verdict: No

• Atlanta Hawks: These teams already traded this summer. Ingram for Clint Capela and a pick is interesting, but if it was on the table, it probably would’ve already happened. Verdict: No

• LA Clippers: They need talent after Paul George left. But they used the resulting cap space on Derrick Jones Jr., Nicolas Batum, and James Harden’s extension. This one’s too complicated on the trade machine. Verdict: No

• Golden State Warriors: They reportedly want Lauri Markkanen, who makes a lot more sense in the Golden State system than Ingram. If they lose out on Markkanen and get desperate, they could put together a package of young talent. But I’m not sure that Kevon Looney is solving the Pels’ center issue. Verdict: Unlikely

• LA Lakers: They have the tradeable contracts, but are they really desperate enough to do this? I’m also not sure how the D’Angelo Russell-Rui Hachimura package makes sense for New Orleans, barring some unforeseen third team. Verdict: Unlikely

• Portland Trail Blazers: I’m not sure why they would want a prime-aged Ingram in the middle of their tank. But they do have extra centers. Verdict: Unlikely

• Miami Heat: This one might be my favorite. The Heat have a talent need and actually could use Ingram’s skillset. They don’t have a center to give away, but Tyler Herro could reasonably be shuffled to a third team. Verdict: Possible!

So options are limited for the Pelicans. The challenges of Ingram’s fit on New Orleans carries over to other teams, many of which already have superior number-one options to Ingram.

Something has to give for the Pelicans. Constructing a feasible defense around their current group of players is tough, if not borderline impossible. The offensive fit is bizarre. Coach Willie Green would have to bring two starting-caliber players off the bench to avoid playing Zion at center.

Whatever solution the Pels come up with could shift the balance of the ultra-competitive Western Conference. New Orleans has the pieces to challenge for a top five spot if they find a way to balance out the team. Ingram might be the most talented player left on the trade market, depending on Markkanen’s availability.

There’s a contender in here somewhere. As usual, the Pels are going to have to get creative to find it.