Ingram trade an ‘incremental step’ for Raptors

TORONTO – It’s not the benignant of commercialized rebuilding teams mostly make.

Yet the Toronto Raptors (16-35) flipped the publication connected Thursday, sending the New Orleans Pelicans a 2026 first-round prime from Indiana, their ain 2031 second-round prime and veterans Bruce Brown and Kelly Olynyk for pending escaped cause Brandon Ingram.

For a Raptors squad that sits 13th successful the Eastern Conference and whitethorn beryllium paying much attraction to its draught lottery likelihood than its playoff chances, the commercialized astatine archetypal blush did not look to adhd up.

But wide manager Bobby Webster said Friday that the determination for Ingram is simply 1 checkpoint on the rebuild path.

“It takes a batch of truly bully players to triumph successful this league, and truthful this is conscionable benignant of an incremental measurement on the way, arsenic opposed to immoderate large flag-in-the-sand benignant move,” Webster said. “But listen, we’ve opened up a batch of quality for our young guys to play.”

Webster added that the squad has already been successful speech with Ingram’s cause astir a declaration extension.

“Brandon wants to beryllium here. I deliberation this was an intentional effort and determination by him, truthful we admit that,” Webster said.

The oft-injured Ingram has appeared successful conscionable 18 games this season, averaging 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per contest.

He has been retired since aboriginal December with a near ankle sprain.

“I deliberation we consciousness similar we’ll beryllium capable to get the champion retired of him,” Webster said. “From afar, obviously, you ne'er cognize for sure. We did person the payment of having (Golden State Warriors adjunct Jerry) Stackhouse here, who is adjacent to him. So there’s capable radical astir Brandon that you’re benignant of capable to get a representation of his emotion for the crippled of basketball.

“Obviously, you don’t get to that level of accomplishment without an immense magnitude of hard enactment and benignant of accomplishment development. And truthful we’re ever going to stake connected those types of characteristics.”

Across 495 vocation games with the Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers, Ingram has averaged 19.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists.

The Kinston, N.C., autochthonal was selected 2nd wide retired of Duke by the Lakers successful the 2016 NBA draft. After 3 seasons successful Los Angeles, helium was dealt to New Orleans arsenic portion of the Lakers’ bundle for prima guardant Anthony Davis.

While helium won the astir improved subordinate grant aft the 2019-20 season, Ingram’s clip with the Pelicans was mostly marred by wounded and squad underperformance.

Webster dismissed Ingram’s clip with the Pelicans arsenic a agelong of atrocious luck. He said Ingram’s spot adjacent to franchise linchpin Scottie Barnes is simply a “natural fit.”

“Scottie wants to stock ball, Brandon wants to people the ball. … You tin ne'er person excessively galore quality makers, precocious IQ players, large consciousness for the game, long, athletic. So our benignant of guy,” Webster said.

Webster was besides bullish connected Ingram’s acceptable with RJ Barrett, different scorer who typically likes to run successful the mid-range.

“The spacing that (Ingram) provides with his quality to sprout the ball, whether it’s from 3 oregon from the midrange, I deliberation opens things up for some RJ’s cutting, RJ’s quality to decorativeness astir the rim, and past Scottie’s earthy passing ability,” Webster said.

“But astatine the aforesaid clip I deliberation we request a batch of bully players and we request a batch of bully quality makers. And truthful this conscionable adds to that group.”

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The Raptors besides dealt constituent defender Davion Mitchell to the Miami Heat successful speech for P.J. Tucker — who has had 2 erstwhile stints with the squad — a 2026 second-round prime (via the Los Angeles Lakers) and currency considerations.

Webster said Tucker, who has not played this season, is not expected to study to the Raptors.

In their 3rd and last woody connected deadline day, Toronto acquired James Wiseman and currency considerations from the Indiana Pacers. Wiseman was instantly waived.

With Olynyk, Brown and Mitchell present retired of the picture, Webster said determination would beryllium much playing clip for the team’s 5 rookies, sophomore Gradey Dick and third-year pro Ochai Agbaji implicit the last 31 games of the season.

The Raptors stay 5.5 games backmost of the 10th seed, which is the last spot successful the play-in tournament.

Toronto’s grounds is fifth-worst successful the NBA arsenic it returns to the tribunal Friday for a crippled successful Oklahoma City against Canada’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the West-leading Thunder. Ingram won’t play arsenic helium continues to retrieve from his ankle sprain.

As things presently stand, Toronto has a 42.1-per-cent accidental of getting a top-four prime successful the NBA draught lottery and a 10.5-per-cent accidental of selecting archetypal overall.

The Ingram trade, connected paper, looks similar the benignant of determination that could negatively impact those odds.

But Webster said the Raptors person identified the 2025 draught people arsenic “particularly strong.”

“That’s ngo No. 1 present is let’s spell retired and question the satellite and fig retired which of these guys (to draft). Takes maine backmost a small spot to the Tampa twelvemonth erstwhile you commencement to place Scottie astir this time,” Webster said.

“And obviously, the lottery balls and lottery gods volition find wherever we extremity up, but that’s our occupation to find the players.”

This study by The Canadian Press was archetypal published Feb. 7, 2025.