We're just over two months out before this slightly revamped iteration of the Toronto Raptors takes the court for the 2025-26 regular season. When I say "slightly revamped," I mean we will still see many familiar faces from the past few years — like Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and company — but of course, there will be some changes.
It was just announced that veteran Chris Boucher will not be returning to the Six, as he signed a one-year deal with the Boston Celtics, officially closing the chapter on an important era of Raptors history. The team is also set to welcome fresh faces like Collin Murray-Boyles, Alijah Martin, Chucky Hepburn, and Sandro Mamukelishvili. But without a doubt, the most noteworthy piece to the puzzle — and the one that will generate a ton of interest in Raptors Nation, as well as in other basketball discussion circles — is the Raptors debut of Brandon Ingram.
Regarding the buzz around Brandon Ingram in the basketball community, ESPN's Tim Legler made a key point about the 27-year-old that will largely determine whether the Raptors' high-risk gamble pays off. In essence, you can consider the point to be that lingering sense of worry that will cloud Toronto's minds when dealing with Ingram: can he, in fact, stay healthy?
Brandon Ingram's habit of inactivity should worry Raptors
Here is the excerpt from Tim Legler and Adam Mares' ALL NBA Podcast episode on YouTube, titled "NBA Eastern Conference Predictions: Who Will SURPRISE Us All?" from August 6:
"But you know, Brandon Ingram over the last four years has been available in 56% of his team's games. 56%. And the two years before that, he played 60. So, like, you can just pencil it in. I mean, he's going to miss a large chunk of the season. Now, if Brandon Ingram played 75 games last year with his skill level and what this team needs ... I might even think this team [Toronto Raptors], hey, man, they might be a .500 team because he's that talented, but he's just never available."Tim Legler
You can't sugarcoat the facts, and that's exactly what Legler presents. Now, to be fair, I don't know too many Raptors fans thinking the worst about this Brandon Ingram situation playing out (we've covered that pessimistic viewpoint on the site also, though), but it's certainly a significant concern to consider when viewing Ingram as a primary player on your team.
I'd say that if the team were built to generate Ingram's level of offense from other players (of which I believe there are some good candidates), you can't change the fact that Toronto will still be placing a great deal of faith in Ingram's offensive ability to largely take the spotlight.
But how will his offense prove effective if he can't suit up full-time?
I definitely respect Legler's acknowledgment of how Ingram can contribute massively to the Raptors' winning ways, considering that in recent years, people sometimes forget how good Ingram can really be. Make the argument that he hasn't generated a ton of winning success in years past and whatnot, but you cannot deny that Ingram is just a pure hooper. Though, as Legler clearly states, "... he's that talented, but he's just never available." That really is the double-edged sword to this Raptors' gamble on Brandon Ingram.