After the Raptors got a much-needed win over the Phoenix Suns, Brandon Ingram said, “I haven’t played 65 games in a season for a very long time.”
The only season in which Ingram actually played 65 or more games was his rookie season with the Lakers in 2016-17. After that, he reached the 60-game mark a few times, including a 2023-24 season in which he played 64 games for the Pelicans, but he never played at least 65 games again. The fewest games he played were 18 in the 2024-25 season when he suffered an ankle injury. Between him and Zion Williamson’s injury troubles, the Pelicans were never able to fulfill the duo’s potential.
Ingram ended that streak in his first full season with the Raptors. He has already played 65 games and is still healthy. If he doesn’t miss another game this season, he could play in 80 games for the first time in his career. Trading for an injury-prone star is risky, but Ingram’s health hasn’t been one of the Raptors’ many concerns this season.
Another injury-ridden season could have made the trade look bad for the Raptors
The Raptors traded for Ingram in February 2025 and signed him to a big three-year, $120 million extension, but he never actually suited up for the Raptors until the start of this season.
The Raptors gave up Kelly Olynyk, Bruce Brown, a 2026 first-round pick from the Pacers, and a 2031 second-round pick to get Ingram. That first-round pick is pretty valuable now. Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles tendon in Game 7 of last year’s NBA Finals and hasn’t been able to play all season. Without him, the Pacers plummeted all the way to fifteenth in the Eastern Conference. They have the worst record in the NBA right now. When the Raptors traded for Ingram, the Pacers were flying high as a top-four team in the Eastern Conference.
If Ingram had missed a good chunk of the season with injuries, like he usually did in New Orleans, fans quickly would have started to wonder if getting him had been a bad move. After all, you don’t want to lose a valuable draft asset for a star who barely plays. So far, the Raptors have been spared that fate—and hopefully Ingram will stay healthy for most of his Raptors’ tenure. Ingram is the Raptors’ leading scorer and generates a lot of the team’s offense. They do not want to lose him to an injury.