Brandon Ingram says the Anthony Davis trade rumors ‘killed’ the young players on the Lakers

New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram revealed that during his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, trade rumors affected him and his other young teammates.

Ingram, who was traded along with Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart in the Anthony Davis deal, explained how the rumors affected him and his teammates.

The 23-year-old said that he tried to stick to a routine of staying in the gym while the rumors circulated.

“I know other guys around me, it killed them every day,” Ingram said on the Old Man and the Three podcast. “When you wake up and you see your name on Twitter, and the guys around me, they love Twitter. They love searching, putting in their names.”

Ingram said that the rumors led to the energy in practice being “totally off.”

Now more than a year removed from the deal, Ingram is thriving with the Pelicans. He made the All-Star team last season and averaged 23.8 points per game. This season he is averaging 26.7 points per game through New Orleans’ first three contests.

The Lakers got what they wanted out of the deal as well. Los Angeles won the title with Davis last season.

While it certainly sounds like it was a rough environment to be in for Ingram and his teammates, they seem to be better off since they were dealt.