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When the Toronto Raptors acquired Brandon Ingram from the New Orleans Pelicans and signed the All-Star forward to a three-year, $120 million contract extension, Ingram was dealing with a nagging ankle injury. Unfortunately, it got so severe that Ingram had to receive PRP injections to aid in the recovery, shutting him down for the year and delaying his Raptors debut to next season. Well, based on comments from Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic, Ingram appears to be ramping up toward playing when Toronto's 2025-26 campaign begins.
“He's pain-free, he's moving well, he got stronger,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic told TSN on Thursday. “He's in a really, really great spot.”
The reports from TSN also shared that Ingram, who hasn't played since December 2024, will be a participant in Toronto's offseason workouts and scrimmages. Ingram has been working extensively behind the scenes to prepare for his Raptors debut and, if everything goes well this offseason, the former All-Star should help fuel a Toronto run back toward the postseason.
Brandon Ingram could be a big-time difference-maker for the Raptors when healthy
A player at Ingram's position is a rare commodity in today's NBA. With his ability to score at three levels, defend, rebound, and pass, he makes perfect sense as a star who can elevate the Raptors' core of Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and Jakob Poeltl.
How Ingram can elevate this team is that he can step up in clutch-time scenarios. When opposing defenses lock in, especially during the playoffs, Ingram can give Toronto a much-needed scoring punch, regardless of whether it's on the perimeter, in the lane, or at the free-throw line. It was something the Raptors lacked last season, and it led to far too many losses. So, if Toronto wants to become a serious playoff threat, they'll need to rely on Ingram to take them to the next level scoring-wise.
