The future of the Spurs can be described as bright, with historical-level talents like Wenyambo leading the way, supplemented by excellent pieces like Castle and Sohan, they will eventually join the ranks of the elite teams. However, their current situation can also be described as poor; although the team has many young players, it seems that a qualified second-in-command has not been found, causing Wenyambo to often run out of energy in the third quarter.
In recent days, Fox's name has been frequently associated with the Spurs. However, it is said that the Kings have received many offers, and the Spurs' competitiveness has not reached the level of "standing out from the crowd." Instead, today, American media Fadeaway World revealed that the Spurs are making a backup plan, which is to pursue Pelicans forward Ingram.
Ingram's desire to leave the Pelicans has long been an open secret; after last year's playoffs, the management and local fans had already lost patience with Ingram. However, they did not seriously consider the impact of injuries on Ingram, and even directly negated his five years with the Pelicans.
Now, according to FW, the Spurs are willing to offer Collins, Kelden, and two protected first-round picks to obtain Ingram. Such a package is estimated to be acceptable to the Pelicans, after all, Ingram's contract is also expiring, and being able to obtain these assets through a sign-and-trade is already a profit.
Ingram is only 27 years old this season, averaging 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists, with a true shooting percentage reaching 56.7%, which is quite good for a ball-handling wing player. The criticism of his playoff struggles is actually just a stereotype held by some fans; for example, in the 2022 playoffs, Ingram averaged 27 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists. In terms of individual attacking ability, he is no less than Tatum!
Ingram's one-on-one ability is actually what the Spurs currently need very much. This season so far, Ingram has attempted an average of 7.3 mid-range finishes per game, with 5.1 of them being unassisted, which is commonly known as one-on-one. In these 5.1 possessions, Ingram averages 1.21 points with a shooting percentage of 47.8%, which is at an excellent level, if not higher.
If the Spurs can obtain Ingram, their tactical system will become more diverse; in addition to having a perimeter ball-handler to bridge the gap when Paul is off the court, he can also perform numerous pick-and-roll combinations with Wenyambo. The Spurs have set up a lot of pick-and-roll tactics between Vassel and Wenyambo, but limited by Vassel's ball-handling ability, these moves have not been very effective, and Ingram would be a better choice.
If they can obtain an excellent mid-career versatile forward and second scoring point, the pressure on Wenyambo and the entire Spurs frontcourt will be greatly reduced, and they are likely to make a strong showing in the first round of the playoffs this season.