A lot of the Raptors immediate future (and beyond, to be quite honest) rests heavily on the shoulders of Brandon Ingram.
While the Raptors have found themselves attached to some other crazy rumors, so far it seems like their eager pursuit of the former All-Star from New Orleans is going to be Toronto's massive splash move ... unless the wacky world of the NBA throws a curve ball from outta nowhere.
So, when Toronto signed Ingram to a lucrative three-year, $120 million extension shortly after acquiring him at the 2025 trade deadline, it would be a bit of let down for Raptors Nation to know that they wouldn't witness any BI hoops for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign. Ingram had been out for a very extended period with a December 2024 ankle sprain (one that NBA insider Brian Windhorst ironically referred to as the "'worst sprain in history") and much of Raptors Nation has been eagerly waiting to hear any updates on the status of Ingram's ability to be involved in practices and so on.
Well, you'd certainly be delighted to hear that Ingram has been approved for contact after a lengthy break from action. This news comes in light of footage courtesy of Raptors reporter Josh Lewenberg on X, which shows Ingram getting his reps up with some of the team staff after the Summer League squad wrapped up its first practice.
Brandon Ingram finally cleared for contact after lengthy ankle injury
There will undoubtedly be some ring rust in Ingram's game, given his extended period of inactivity. However, as a constant professional, I bet that BI has been refining his skills in private sessions and during alone time ... ways the general public cannot see.
Being cleared for contact is huge news because it will not only be Ingram's first glimpse but also his teammates' and the coaching staff's into the possible synergy and on-court chemistry that will be built for the core Raptors squad. Seeing how his game will translate alongside other key figures in the Raptors' lineup, like Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, Jakob Poeltl, and perhaps even RJ Barrett, who seems to remain a Raptor for the foreseeable future, is exciting.
It's only early July, and right now, the Raptors will be laser-focused on their Summer League endeavors, so we still have a lot more ground to cover in terms of offseason training news and clips. For now, let's just appreciate that after so much time on the shelf, Brandon Ingram looks one step closer to his official debut in Raptors threads.