Recently, many in the NBA world were confused when the Toronto Raptors traded for New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram right before the deadline. Ingram has since signed a three-year extension with the Raptors, giving the team a building block to work with for the foreseeable future.

The big splash seemed to contradict the notion that the Raptors were embracing a full-on rebuild, as had been indicated by some of their other recent moves, and now, more light is being shed on what exactly Masai Ujiri and company are cooking.

“They want to compete starting next year,” said one NBA source, per Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer (via Marc Stein on Substack).

Even last year when the Raptors traded away stalwarts OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam, “team officials were already telling rivals that they valued established players as much as they valued future draft picks,” reported Fischer.

Can the Raptors compete?

New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) dribbles against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) during the first half at Smoothie King Center.
Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images
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Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, and RJ Barrett figure to form an intriguing trio of wing players who can thrive on both ends of the floor and impose their size on other teams. Add to that the scoring punch of Immanuel Quickley and Gradey Dick, and the Raptors could have something interesting brewing.

Still, the roster is lacking several key things, including a clear number one option, as well as a true point guard to help distribute the ball to those playmakers, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see Ujiri try to find one or both of those things through free agency or the draft this summer.

In the meantime, Ingram is still sidelined with the same injury that kept him out through the end of his tenure with the Pelicans, rendering it unlikely that the Raptors will be able to climb out of the steep hole they currently find themselves occupying in the Eastern Conference.

Still, for a fanbase that hasn't tasted much success since their 2019 NBA championship, things just got a whole lot more intriguing.

The Raptors will take the floor for the final time before the All-Star break on Wednesday evening vs the Cleveland Cavaliers.