The Toronto Raptors had been over a yr right into a sluggish, cautious rebuild the place they traded off veterans and slowly accrued draft picks. Wednesday, they utterly reversed course to make a win-now commerce.
In a surprising deadline deal, the Raptors acquired impending free agent Brandon Ingram from the New Orleans Pelicans for middle Kelly Olynyk, swingman Bruce Brown and two draft picks. The deal signifies that the Raptors are ready to — and maybe have already agreed to — give Ingram a profitable long-term contract.
Final season, Toronto traded veterans OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam, each members of its 2019 championship crew. It bought RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and plus a package deal of picks. With the 16-35 Raptors holding the NBA’s fifth-worst report and a powerful draft class awaiting, it regarded just like the crew would trip out the rebuild.
However apparently the Raptors, or crew president Masai Ujiri, bought sick of dropping. Now they’re apparently ready to go ahead with Quickley, Ingram and Scottie Barnes all on profitable long-term offers.
Maybe Ingram shall be successful enjoying the 4 alongside Barnes, Quickley and Barrett, nevertheless it feels short-sighted to lock within the core of a crew that is gained a 3rd of their video games with a 27-year-old, who has performed solely 18 video games this season for a crew that is 12-38. Ingram is a one-time All-Star however he is missed a median of 28 video games per yr the final 4 seasons.
The Pelicans could not discover a taker for Ingram, who’s been obtainable for commerce since June, till a day earlier than the deadline. All of a sudden Toronto determined he was a key piece of its future. It is a gamble, and one that does not appear to be it was thought out nicely.
