Another All-Star calibre talent is seemingly headed north of the border.
The Toronto Raptors are reportedly acquiring forward Brandon Ingram from the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for guard Bruce Brown Jr. and forward Kelly Olynyk, a 2026 first-round pick (via Indiana – top four protected) and a future second-rounder, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Despite Toronto’s disposition to be prime-time sellers heading into the Feb. 6 deadline, they’ve opted to add a 27-year-old, one-time All-Star. Ingram holds career averages of 19.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists on 36.3 per cent shooting from distance through 495 career games.
He was originally drafted second-overall in 2016 by the Los Angeles Lakers but was dealt to New Orleans in the summer of 2019 as part of the Anthony Davis to L.A. trade. The Duke product has been a 23-point-per-game scorer during his six seasons with the Pelicans since, earning his lone All-Star nod in 2019-20, his first year with the team.
Ingram’s biggest knock throughout his career has been a lack of health. The 6-foot-8 forward hasn’t played more than 64 games since his rookie season. He’s also currently injured as well, having battled multiple injuries this season. Ingram has missed 26 consecutive contests with an ankle injury and remains sidelined at this time with no clear timeline for a return. Through 18 appearances this season, he’s averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists while nailing 37.4 per cent of his looks beyond the arc.
How Ingram fits with the Raptors long-term is yet to be determined. He’s in the final year of a five-year, $158 million deal, owed $36 million this season before unrestricted free agency in the summer. Re-signing the forward will be a dicey proposition considering Scottie Barnes’ rookie scale max extension kicks in next season, Immanuel Quickley is already on his new deal and both RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl will be extension-eligible.
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, Ingram is eligible to sign a three-year, $144 million extension with the Raptors in the summer. And with Toronto owning his bird rights, it can exceed the cap to get a deal done.
All the while, the Raptors are currently 16-35 and 13th in the Eastern Conference. They currently own the fifth-best odds at the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft, a 10.5 per cent chance for the right to select Cooper Flagg in June. Will adding the wing jeopardize that chance and is that something the front office took into account?
On the other side, the deal puts an end to Brown and Olynyk’s tenure after a year with the ball club. Brown notably made his way north in the Pascal Siakam trade. Through parts of two seasons with the Raptors, he totalled 51 games and averaged 9.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists on 32.3 per cent shooting from deep. Meanwhile, “Captain Canada” also made 51 appearances for his hometown club since joining Toronto at last year’s deadline in a deal with the Utah Jazz. He averaged 10.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.0 steals on 38.5 per cent distance shooting. Olynyk signed a two-year, $26.2 million extension last off-season.
The Raptors return to action on Friday, visiting the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
