Restricted free agency can be particularly tricky because it doesn’t give teams any guarantees, but there’s a world where the San Antonio Spurs part ways with their star player and manage to be in a better scenario for their future. This would require two specific events to take place: star wing DeMar DeRozan would opt-out of his contract with the team and they’d sign New Orleans Pelicans small forward Brandon Ingram to a max contract.
In the first All-Star season of his career, Ingram is averaging 24.3 points, 6.3 boards, 4.3 assists and a steal in 34.