Toronto Raptors 2025 NBA trade deadline grade after Brandon Ingram deal

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The Toronto Raptors made a huge move prior to the NBA trade deadline when they acquired Brandon Ingram from the New Orleans Pelicans for Bruce Brown Jr., Kelly Olynyk, and a first-round pick. The deal was somewhat questionable on the surface because Ingram has been out since December 7 with a sprained ankle and he was on a path to become a free agent at the end of the 2024-25 season.

However, the latter part of the equation is no longer an issue because Ingram signed a three-year extension that will pay him $120 million and keep him as part of the team through the 2027-28 season.

Now all general manager Bobby Webster and the Raptors have to worry about is Ingram staying healthy and contributing on the court for the trade to be considered a success. However, there are many moves this team will have to make before the start of the 2026-27 season for this move to have a real payoff.

The Raptors are clearly a lottery team this year and could be once again next season. It will take at least a couple of offseasons for the Raptors to build the team into one that can compete with Eastern Conference powers like the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers.

Subscribing to that theory makes the trade for Ingram a somewhat questionable move. He is a sharp No. 2 option when he is healthy and on top of his game. However, he is not a dominant No. 1 player, and there’s every reason to question why the Raptors would bring Ingram aboard at this time.

Ingram has been consistently productive, but Raptors are not getting a superstar

The nine-year veteran spent the first three seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Lakers and he has been with the Pelicans for the next six seasons. He has a career scoring average of 19.5 points per game along with 5.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists per night. Ingram has connected on 46.8 percent of his shots from the field and 78.8 percent of his free throws.

His best season came in 2022-23 when the 6-8 small forward averaged 24.7 points, 5.5 boards and 5.8 assists. He made 48.4 percent of his shots from the field, 39.0 percent from beyond the arc and 88.2 percent of his free throws.

Ingram has been an All-Star once in his career, was voted the Most Improved Player in 2019-20 and he made the All-Rookie team after being drafted out of Duke with the No. 2 overall pick in 2016-17.

Prior to his sprained ankle, Ingram was averaging 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per night for the Pelicans. He was connecting on 46.5 percent from the field, 37.4 percent of his three-point attempts and 85.5 percent from the free-throw line.

Will Ingram fit in with head coach Darko Rajakovic’s philosophy

Head coach Darko Rajakovic wants to employ an offense based on ball movement and unselfishness. He believes that Ingram will be a good fit in the long run for the team.

"I think it's going to be a process. I think there's going to be a lot of work that we need to put in," Rajaković said, per The Athletic. "(Ingram) is very open. He's very willing to accept what this team is doing. And he already started using his voice with the team and talking in the film sessions. He's opening up, which is great. I really respect that.

"I think he's a very, very unselfish player. I think that he's a player that can see the court really well. And I think that's going to be the driving force for us when we get him on the court."

Overall trade grade: B

The presence of Ingram will help the Raptors improve one of their biggest weaknesses. He can create offense in the half-court set.

That is one area that the Raptors will need in both the short- and long-term. However, for this trade to be a real success, Ingram is going to have to demonstrate that he can fit in with his new teammates — both current and future — without any downturn in his production.

Acquiring Ingram was Toronto’s only key move prior to the trade deadline this season. The current cast of Raptors includes RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, Gradey Dick and Jacob Poeltl. If he can help this group improve, Toronto will have taken a key step towards significant progress.

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