Duke's finest — Most Improved Player and New Orleans' franchise cornerstone.
Brandon Ingram was born in Kinston, North Carolina in 1997. Los Angeles Lakers selected him second overall in the 2016 NBA Draft after one year at Duke University. His career has produced 20.9 points per game and two All-Star appearances. He won the Most Improved Player award in 2020 after being traded to New Orleans as part of the Anthony Davis deal — improving his scoring average from 18.3 to 24.3 points per game. He has been selected to two All-Star games. His development as a scorer — particularly his pull-up shooting off the dribble, step-back three and ability to create separation in the mid-range — has made him one of the most technically refined scoring forwards of his generation. At 6ft 7in with exceptional length and footwork, his offensive skill set is compared to Kevin Durant's in terms of the angles he can score from. His partnership with Zion Williamson when healthy has given New Orleans one of the most exciting young frontcourt combinations in the league. He was diagnosed with blood clots in October 2019 — a condition that required anticoagulant treatment and from which he recovered fully — which makes his subsequent development all the more impressive.
Versatile forward with elite scoring ability and length
How They Played
Smooth scoring forward with mid-range game and improved three-point shooting
Lasting Impact
Talented scorer who developed into All-Star after trade to New Orleans
All-Star 2x
Career Honours
- All-Star 2x
- Most Improved Player (2020)
- All-NBA Second Team