Brandon Ingram's time in New Orleans had some extremely high highs and extremely low lows. During his first season with the Pelicans, Ingram came in ready to prove himself, and that he did, winning Most Improved Player and showing why he was a former top 3 pick. The years following that breakout season were good, but one thing stayed consistent: BI couldn't stay healthy. In his time in the Big Easy, he missed over 35% of his games and never played more than 64 games.
This is why last season, when Ingram got injured, many fans expected that to be the end of the 27-year-old's time in New Orleans. Not only was BI constantly hurt, but the Pelicans had a young rising star that played the same role as him, in Trey Murphy.
This ultimately led to him being traded to the Raptors for Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, a first-round pick, and a second-round pick. This package wasn't glamorous, but it was the best way to move on from him.
Ingram's constant injury luck has aggravated BI and the fans during his time in New Orleans, as it felt like anytime the team was making some ground in the West, either he or Zion would end up hurt. This harsh realization is now something that the Raptors and their fans are soon to learn. With Immanuel Quickley already being injury-riddled during his time in Toronto, that same story may repeat with Ingram.
The pressure is on for Brandon Ingram
Injuries are never something anyone wants to have happen. However, Ingram's track record isn't friendly, and the Raptors need him to reach their goals next season. Their win total is set at 37.5 games, and many experts feel they may not reach that because of Quickley's and Ingram's health.
The Raptors enter next season with the 8th highest payroll in the NBA and may not even make the playoffs in a depleted Eastern Conference. That's extremely concerning if you're a front office and may lead fans to scapegoat someone, and it's not going to be Scottie Barnes because fans love him, or RJ Barrett because he's a local kid. But it could be the injured former All-Star they traded for and already extended last season, when they were supposed to be rebuilding.
Whether things pan out or they don't for the Raptors next season, the Brandon Ingram trade continues to look like a win for the Pelicans. They cleared up space on the roster to let Trey Murphy spread his wings and moved on from an aging, injured former All-Star.