The Toronto Raptors will regret giving up a first-round draft pick and rewarding Brandon Ingram with a massive three-year $120 million contract. The All-Star has yet to suit up since the trade and has a lengthy injury history. He is currently fully healthy, but has gigantic warts that Toronto can’t hide.
Ingram is an elite scorer and strong playmaker. His 3-point volume improved last season in a limited sample. His inconsistent jumper and on-ball nature have long been the biggest questions about his offensive game. The Raptors have several mouths to feed, and floor spacing concerns will arise, but it is Ingram’s biggest problem that will sink Toronto.
The plan may change with Masai Ujiri gone, but the Raptors were in love with versatile forwards in their previous build. Ingram fits that mold. He is a better scorer than Scottie Barnes or RJ Barrett, but Ingram is redundant in Toronto.
Raptors will instantly regret the Brandon Ingram trade
Ingram has played more than 60 games in a season just four times in his nine-year NBA career. The Raptors must find a way to keep him on the floor first. Ingram is used to playing 33-plus minutes per game. Toronto may look to limit him slightly in hopes of improving his health.
The Pelicans were worse with Ingram on the floor in each of the last two seasons. It is fair to question his impact on winning. The defense is a problem, and his offensive game doesn’t make up for it. New Orleans wasn’t eager to pay him, and the Raptors may have been the only team that was.
There is only one ball, but Immanuel Quickley, Barnes, Barrett, and Ingram will want significant opportunities. Last season, Barrett and Barnes took north of 16 field goal attempts per game, with Quickley at 13.3. Ingram took 18.5 last season. The Raptors attempted 91.0 per game, and those four players took 65.1. That is impossible to replicate on a nightly basis. Ingram will have to sacrifice some, which will limit his production.
This is the type of trade a franchise makes to contend, but the Raptors aren’t there. They won 30 games and didn’t even qualify for the Play-In Tournament last season. Ingram has made the playoffs twice and never advanced past the first round. Expecting him to lead a massive turnaround in Toronto is unwise.
The franchise has offensive pecking order questions and a problematic defense. All the Raptors can do is hope the Eastern Conference is weak enough to sneak into the playoffs. Ingram doesn't make Toronto a serious contender and is vastly overpaid. This trade is nightmare and will only get worse.
The Toronto Raptors will be paying Brandon Ingram $40 million per season to get buckets. He is morphing into the Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan category of scorers that don’t impact winning. Teams are not valuing those players, which will make it difficult for Toronto to move on. The Raptors put themselves in this position and are stuck again. They only have themselves to blame.