{"id":15414,"date":"2025-02-07T17:02:09","date_gmt":"2025-02-07T17:02:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/07\/ingram-trade-an-incremental-step-for-raptors\/"},"modified":"2025-02-07T17:02:09","modified_gmt":"2025-02-07T17:02:09","slug":"ingram-trade-an-incremental-step-for-raptors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/07\/ingram-trade-an-incremental-step-for-raptors\/","title":{"rendered":"Ingram trade an \u2018incremental step\u2019 for Raptors"},"content":{"rendered":"


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TORONTO \u2013 It\u2019s not the type of trade rebuilding teams generally make.<\/p>\n

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Yet the Toronto Raptors (16-35) flipped the script on Thursday, sending the New Orleans Pelicans a 2026 first-round pick from Indiana, their own 2031 second-round pick and veterans Bruce Brown and Kelly Olynyk for pending free agent Brandon Ingram.<\/p>\n

For a Raptors team that sits 13th in the Eastern Conference and may be paying more attention to its draft lottery odds than its playoff chances, the trade at first blush did not seem to add up.<\/p>\n

But general manager Bobby Webster said Friday that the move for Ingram is simply one checkpoint along the rebuild path.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes a lot of really good players to win in this league, and so this is just sort of an incremental step along the way, as opposed to some big flag-in-the-sand type move,\u201d Webster said. \u201cBut listen, we\u2019ve opened up a lot of ability for our young guys to play.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Webster added that the team has already been in conversation with Ingram\u2019s agent about a contract extension.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrandon wants to be here. I think this was an intentional effort and decision by him, so we appreciate that,\u201d Webster said.<\/p>\n

The oft-injured Ingram has appeared in just 18 games this season, averaging 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per contest.<\/p>\n

He has been out since early December with a left ankle sprain.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we feel like we\u2019ll be able to get the best out of him,\u201d Webster said. \u201cFrom afar, obviously, you never know for sure. We did have the benefit of having (Golden State Warriors assistant Jerry) Stackhouse here, who is close to him. So there\u2019s enough people around Brandon that you\u2019re sort of able to get a picture of his love for the game of basketball.<\/p>\n

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