Less than 24 hours have passed since Zion Williamson announced his split from his agency, Creative Artists Agency. And now his fellow teammate has followed suit. Is it some ritual in the New Orleans Pelicans? Everybody has to change their agency if their star does. Anyway, it was Brandon Ingram who also announced his split from Excel Sports.

Williamson’s exit was tied to his ambition to play in New York along with the terms of his January 2022 contract extension with the Pelicans. Over time, he began to grasp how certain clauses in the deal fueled his falling out with CAA, as Kris Pursiainen of ClutchPoints reported. Those stipulations, it seems, were at the heart of the conflict. Do you think Ingram also had problems similar to Williamson’s?

Notably, Ingram is nearing the end of his five-year, $158 million contract with the Pelicans. With unrestricted free agency looming next summer, his situation has sparked plenty of intrigue around the league. It’s unclear if his focus is entirely on free agency or if he’s also considering the possibility of a trade before the season wraps up.

While changing agencies isn’t a big deal, two stars on the same team changed agents within 24 hours and fans reflected their thoughts on social media.

Fans confused regarding Brandon Ingram’s latest decision

Fans and the basketball community are reacting to this news on X. One user tweeted “What is happening???”. Two players on the same team leave their agencies at the same time? Hmm, suspicious, are the Pelicans cooking something of their own? Or is it just a mere coincidence? Or was Ingram dealt a bad hand, and he was not aware of it? Now that he is wise, he can break free.

Another user thought it was all a plan. They wrote, “something’s going on here”. Jeff Schwartz, the leader of Excel Sports Management, represents some of the highest-earning stars in the NBA. His agency has built a reputation for landing massive contracts, with a roster stacked with multi-million-dollar deals. So why is Ingram leaving them before free agency? Schwartz could have gotten him the contract he deserves.

His decision before free agency raises questions. One netizen asked the right one, “What does this mean for getting an extension done / trade talks?” If Ingram gets traded before the deadline, landing with a team open to a long-term deal seems logical. The agency change might be connected to this, but, for now, it’s anyone’s guess how things will pan out for the former All-Star.

Fans already started taking guesses on who’s going to be Brandon Ingram’s next agent. One fan even tagged by guessing his future agent. They wrote, “@RichPaul4 make the call”. 

Rich Paul has redefined player representation in the NBA, making him one of the most influential agents in the league’s history. As the founder of Klutch Sports Group, he’s built a reputation for representing the game’s biggest stars. He represents LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and many other stars.

Could he add another gem to his already-studded roster?