The Toronto Raptors signed newly acquired forward Brandon Ingram to a three-year contract extension worth $120 million even though he has yet to play a game for Toronto.
On February 6th, Ingram was acquired from the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for a 2026 first-round pick, a 2031 second-round pick, guard/forward Bruce Brown, and center Kelly Olynyk.
The former second-overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft has been out of action since December due to a left ankle sprain. Though he is not expected to be sidelined for “much longer,” it’s unclear when he will debut for Toronto, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Ryan Young.
In 18 games this season, Ingram has averaged 22.2 points on 46.5% shooting. He has also recorded 5.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game.
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How did the Raptors get here?
Toronto has been trying to find an identity ever since winning the 2019 NBA Championship. Normally, championship-winning teams have an idea of how they will maintain their success, but that all went out the window as soon as Kawhi Leonard left Canada to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers.
In the aftermath of Leonard’s departure, the Raptors thought their future would be attached to Kyle Lowry, OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, and head coach Nick Nurse, but that plan fell apart too. Following the 2020-21 season, Kyle Lowry was traded to the Miami Heat. Then, Nick Nurse was fired after the conclusion of the 2022-23 season. In December of 2023, OG Anunoby was traded to the New York Knicks. Soon after that, Siakam was sent to the Indiana Pacers.
With that core no longer in the building, Toronto needed to start acquiring draft capital and young stars. They drafted former All-Star Scottie Barnes with the fourth overall pick in 2021 before the old regime was dismantled. They also used the OG Anunoby trade to add two more young players – RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. Meanwhile, they picked up three first-round picks in the Pascal Siakam trade. They then used some of the players and picks from the Anunoby trade to land Brandon Ingram, who will be a great addition to the team.
After looking directionless for the past four seasons, it now appears that Toronto once again has a young core of players who will be with the team for many years to come.
The Raptors are two years away
Toronto probably won’t be all that competitive this season. At 17-37, they are 13th in the Eastern Conference and 26th overall in the NBA in terms of record. Though this season is a wash, I still think the Raptors are quietly building a team that will soon be able to compete for a play-in/playoff spot.
The young core of proven talent is there. Scottie Barnes is a 23-year-old former All-Star who is averaging 20.2 points per game this season. When Brandon Ingram returns to the court, the 27-year-old small forward will immediately be one of Toronto’s two best players. Since leaving New York, both RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley have seen their point totals increase. We also have to mention Gradey Dick, who is giving the Raptors 15.3 points off the bench. The nucleus of talent is there. They just need to add one or two more pieces to round out this lineup.
In a perfect world, the Raptors will tank the rest of this season, and secure the number-one pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, allowing them to take Duke freshman guard Cooper Flagg. If Toronto can add Flagg to their roster, they will instantly become a playoff-caliber team.
The problem is that winning the NBA Draft Lottery takes a lot of luck and a truly terrible record. Right now, with the fifth-worst record in the league, they only have a 10.5% chance to land the number-one pick. While that sounds promising, we must remember that the three worst teams have a 14% chance to land the number one pick while the fourth-worst team has a 12.5% chance. I don’t think the Raptors will actually win the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, so they will need to continue to improve their squad through free agency and the draft.
Since they need to upgrade the center position, I could see them making a push for Indiana’s Myles Turner or Atlanta’s Clint Capela. If Milwaukee chooses to move on from him, Brook Lopez could be an excellent veteran presence in the Raptors’ locker room.
Toronto also needs some forward depth. I think adding somebody like Bojan Bogdanović could take some pressure off of Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes. Joe Ingles, Jae’Sean Tate, and Larry Nance Jr. are all scheduled to be unrestricted free agents this off-season, so the Raptors could get better by adding any one of those guys.
Don’t expect Toronto to turn things around this season. Next year, they will almost certainly improve but will still struggle to make the postseason. The 2026-27 season is when I think the Raptors will make their presence felt in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
