The Toronto Raptors have to move on from Brandon Ingram after their first-round playoff loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The All-Star forward couldn’t make shots in the biggest games for the second time in his career, and it became clear that the Raptors were better without him when he missed the final two games of this series. Ingram gets buckets in the regular season, but the playoffs are a different story.
The 28-year-old averaged just 12.0 points on 32.8 percent shooting from the field in his five games played in this series. Trading for him looked disastrous. Toronto knew they needed more offensive firepower, but Ingram didn’t offer it. To make matters worse, he doesn’t fit the team’s style. The Raps want to play fast and use their athleticism. That is just not BI’s game.
Scottie Barnes proved he is a superstar in this series. The Raptors pushed it to seven games without two starters. They didn’t quite have enough, but Toronto’s primary focus should be putting more talent around Barnes. Fans know that means trading Ingram.
Raptors must trade Brandon Ingram this offseason
Ingram is set to make $40 million in the 2026-27 season and has a player option for $41.9 million for the 2027-28 campaign. That is a massive contract, but Ingram is a two-time All-Star. There wasn’t a ton of trade interest when Toronto acquired him, but it only takes one. They should already be searching for a team that needs offensive punch and has players who fit what the Raps want to do.
Fans certainly don’t want to see Ingram over-dribbling the ball and slowing things down. They want to feed Barnes’ preferred style and find a better fit. The Raptors need more shooting, playmaking, and overall offensive punch to make a deep playoff run. They were down two starters, but it felt like Toronto only had three players who could score the ball by the end of this series. Sadly, if Ingram was on the floor, he wouldn’t have been one of them.
First-round playoff exits usually result in changes. This isn’t a young team with years to waste. Barnes is 24, and Barrett is 25. They are just entering their primes. It is on the Raptors to continue building. Trading Ingram for someone who fits better should be the top priority for Toronto.
It is far from the Raptors' only question. Immanuel Quickley missed the playoffs and his chance to prove he was the long-term answer at point guard. Toronto needs more shooting and offense if they are going to make a run. Those are flaws that need to be fixed. Ingram’s salary could be a key ingredient in making that happen.
The Toronto Raptors have to trade Brandon Ingram and look to build a roster that fits better around Scottie Barnes to take the next step. They can’t be happy just making the playoffs in 2027. The Raps should want to make a run. That isn’t happening with Ingram as the number two option, so Toronto has no choice. Stay tuned to see how it all plays out this summer.
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