Because the trade sending Luka Doncic to L.A. and Anthony Davis to Dallas was so shocking and featured a caliber of player we almost never see get traded, some other huge moves from the NBA’s trade deadline week have flown a bit under the radar.
Among them was the Raptors acquiring Brandon Ingram, as Toronto took a big swing to bring in the former All-Star wing to pair with Scottie Barnes. That trade, in particular, has not been discussed much in the week since the deadline, largely because the Raptors are near the bottom of the East and Ingram hasn’t played yet as he continues to recover from an ankle sprain that’s had him sidelined since December. Still, it was a considerable move from a Raptors team that signaled they aren’t planning on staying in the rebuilding phase after this year, but there was one order of business still to get done.
Ingram was set to be a free agent this summer and has been looking for a long-term, big money extension for some time. New Orleans was not willing to give him the kind of deal he was looking for, but the Raptors trading for him indicated they would be. Sure enough, on Tuesday we learned that Ingram and the Raptors were in agreement on a 3-year, $120 million extension with a player option on the final year, per Shams Charania.
It’s a large commitment by the Raptors and gives Ingram control over the final year of the deal, giving him both security and the ability to go after another lucrative contract before he turns 30 if he thrives in his new home in Toronto. While some wondered if the Raptors had to pay this much now for Ingram when few teams had space this summer, there is no world you can make that trade and not lock him into an extension immediately — also, trying to play hardball immediately isn’t the best way to get him excited about joining your team.
There are real questions about Ingram’s fit alongside Scottie Barnes. He tends to operate in the midrange and their shot charts are eerily similar, which begs the question of how well they can coexist — and we’ve already seen things get cluttered with Barnes and other talented wings when Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby were in town. However, the Raptors clearly have a vision for the partnership and a belief that they can complement each other well. We will have to wait until later in the season to see that in action, but even before Ingram steps foot on an NBA floor in a Raptors uniform, he has a deal to stay there through at least 2027.