NBA Trade Rumors: Zion Williamson's $36,016,200 teammate rumored to team up with Trae Young & Co

Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans have been riddled with injuries throughout this season and are at a point where they are out of the running for the Western Conference play-in tournament. The team's struggles have resulted in many of their players being tossed around in trade talks ahead of the February 6th deadline. One of the bigger names in that discussion? Brandon Ingram.

Brian Windhorst, one of the lead NBA Insiders for ESPN, spoke on Get Up on Friday about teams that could be interested in Ingram, and he brought up the Atlanta Hawks as a potential destination. His $36,016,200 expiring contract(according to Spotrac) has garnered interest from teams throughout the league, including contenders like the Hawks and Denver Nuggets.

"“Keep an eye on the Atlanta Hawks. They just lost their star wing Jalen Johnson for the season," said Windhorst about the Hawks interest in trades. "They may start to get interested in making a move, especially for Brandon Ingram.”

While Ingram does represent a big upgrade to a contender's roster, he does have an injury risk. He hasn't played since December 7th due to an ankle sprain he suffered against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Trading for Ingram also means re-signing him when his contract expires this summer. However, recent injuries to the Hawks could put them in a place to make the trade.

Jalen Johnson and the Hawks announced that the forward will undergo season-ending surgery on his left shoulder a couple days ago, robbing the team of their third leading scorer. The team sits at 22-26, good for the ninth spot in the Eastern Conference. Bringing Ingram in serves two purposes for the Hawks; improving their roster in the short term and convincing Trae Young to stay.

Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson's injury struggles

Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram have had their moments in New Orleans, but their injuries have robbed each of them of a concerning amount of games throughout their careers. Throughout their time together on the Pelicans, the team has played 499 games over six seasons. Ingram and Williamson have played together in only 159 of those games, 32% of the games possible.

Because of the team's current standing and both players' inability to stay on the court, Ingram and Zion have been mainstays in this year's trade rumors. When they are healthy, both are All-Star level talents and can serve as the offensive engine of their team as well as playing off of another star.

The Atlanta Hawks need a player like that to slot into Johnson's spot in the starting lineup, and Brandon Ingram is now the lead name to solve that problem.