BREAKING: Brandon Ingram Traded to Toronto Raptors

After 24 hours of intense speculation, the Toronto Raptors have pulled the trigger on acquiring star forward Brandon Ingram from the New Orleans Pelicans.

Breaking: The New Orleans Pelicans have traded Brandon Ingram to the Toronto Raptors for Bruce Brown Jr., Kelly Olynyk, one first-round pick and one second-rounder, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/tI4jo2cYhM
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 6, 2025

In return, the Raptors send Bruce Brown Jr., Kelly Olynyk, one first-round pick and one second-rounder to New Orleans.

Ingram, a former one-time All-Star, is a pending free agent, earning $36M this season, but he was looking for a max extension from the Pelicans (four years, $207.8 million), which they were not inclined to offer him, forcing them to look for a way out, resulting in this trade.

And while the 27-year-old is a great player, averaging about 22 points, 5 1/2 rebounds and 5 1/2 assists per game over the last six years, he has a problem staying on the floor. He's only played 18 games in the current campaign (hasn't played in two months due to a high-grade, low left ankle sprain), and has only played 65-plus games in a season once in the first nine years of his career (in his rookie season with the LA Lakers).

The durability concerns made it difficult for the Pelicans to find a trading partner—until the last few days, when both the Raptors and the Atlanta Hawks became serious suitors.

Ingram will head north of the border, and we'll watch to see if he's actually able to get into some game action with the Raptors for them to assess what kind of fit he is with the team's nucleus of Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett.