Los Angeles Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka at a press conference at the UCLA Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Los Angeles Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka at a press conference at the UCLA Health Training Center.
Brandon Ingram was once the second overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2016 NBA Draft. Ingram then became a pivotal piece around which the Anthony Davis trade was built, leading directly to an NBA championship for Los Angeles. Now, the talented scorer is sparking joy north of the border.
Ingram had a pretty forgettable stint with the New Orleans Pelicans. Despite many pundits believing the Pelicans were primed for success after essentially swapping Davis for nearly the entirety of the Lakers’ young core and then some, the franchise never reached those anticipated heights.
The slender scorer averaged 23.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game with the Pelicans, shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 37.2 percent from beyond the arc. Ingram won the Most Improved Player in 2019-20 and secured the lone All-Star selection of his career.
All of that was not enough to lead to more than two postseason appearances in his six years for the Pelicans. However, it was enough to capture the attention of the Toronto Raptors before last year’s NBA trade deadline. Ingram relocated, got a brand-new contract extension, and now looks poised to play a large role in the success of an Eastern Conference dark horse.
Ingram’s impact is giving the Raptors exactly what Lakers once hoped for
Ingram was already a hit with the Raptors during the preseason. Toronto’s regular season opener provided even more excitement in Canada.
The Atlanta Hawks were hyped up all offseason as a team who could step up and ascend in a weakened Eastern Conference after the additions of key players like Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luke Kennard, and others. The Raptors squashed them.
Toronto went on the road for their first matchup of 2025-26, and they absolutely hammered Atlanta in a decisive 138-118 win. The Raptors set a franchise record for most points in a season opener.
Ingram’s performance was modest, by his standards. The Raptors wing scored 16 points, shooting 7-of-16 from the field, adding nine rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Ingram did lead all Raptors starters with a plus/minus of +14.
The threat of the new Raptors small forward being on the court did allow others around him to thrive. Scottie Barnes dominated in the paint offensively, scoring 22 points while shooting 9-of-14, while dishing out nine assists. Barnes was also allowed to bring a lot more energy defensively as a result.
RJ Barrett similarly thrived due to less defensive attention as a result of Ingram. Barrett shined in a complementary role, scoring 25 points and adding five assists offensively.
If this is how good the Raptors can look on a night when Ingram is not even at his best, the ceiling of that group may be higher than a lot of skeptics anticipated. The Raptors scorer certainly has not lack confidence about his abilities since returning to the court from an ankle injury with his new team.
Ingram told Michael Grange, “When I’m right, there’s no one in the league that can stop me.”
The Lakers will certainly never regret the Davis trade. Giving up Ingram was a necessity and banner number 17 hangs in their building as a result. However, watching the star forward excel with his new team may at least invite some thoughts as to what an alternate reality in Los Angeles would have looked like.
