The Toronto Raptors took a chance on trading for an injured Brandon Ingram at last season's trade deadline, and the reaction to this decision was pretty mixed among the fanbase. Now, this acquisition couldn't be seen as a bigger win, seeing how it's completely changed the trajectory of this team and put the Raps toward the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
What’s happening in Toronto this season isn’t luck. The Ingram trade has reconfigured the Raptors from a middling, injury-plagued group into a legitimate Eastern Conference threat.
Brandon didn’t just slot into the rotation, he became the kind of forward this team lacked for years: one with size, versatility, capable of scoring in the post or off the catch, and able to defend multiple positions. Over the first month and a half of this season, Ingram has notched 20 or more points in the majority of Toronto's games, giving the Raptors a consistent scoring anchor the way a true secondary star should provide.
That alone would be enough to justify the move. But the ripple effect on the rest of the roster might be even bigger. Suddenly, players like Scottie Barnes no longer have to carry the burden of consistent shot creation and scoring. Other perimeter shooters and playmakers like Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett can operate with more spacing and less pressure.
The Raptors changed their trajectory by adding Brandon Ingram
Defenses can’t collapse as early, rotations get more balanced looks, and the offense flows more naturally. That element makes Toronto dangerous, not because they rely on one plug-in piece, but because everything else finally seems to be working in unison.
The Raptors' front office also deserves credit. After a second straight losing season last year, they resisted panic and instead added a known talent who fit their timeline. By re-signing Ingram to a fair extension, they locked in their core without losing future flexibility.
Of course, this isn’t to say the Raptors don’t have work to do. Their three-point shooting remains streaky, and their bench still lacks a dependable third scorer in games where Ingram and Barnes are off. They also still have to prove that they're built to win in a playoff setting, given that depth and consistency count for more when fatigue and adjustments become greater factors.
But as of this moment, Toronto finally feels like a team on the rise rather than a rebuilding project. With Ingram playing some of the best basketball of his career and the team seeming to have found a workable identity, the Raptors have carved out a real shot at contention.