Brandon Ingram played a pivotal role in giving the Toronto Raptors one of their most fun seasons since winning their lone title in 2019 (Sad fact: they haven't had that many since then). He also played a pivotal role in their being ousted by old friend Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers. To think the Utah Jazz tried to get him once upon a time...
For anyone who forgets, Utah tried to get their hands on Ingram back in 2024, but because the former No. 2 pick didn't want to stick around, talks broke down. Instead, Ingram became a Raptor a few months later, and the rest was history.
While Ingram helped Toronto gain some relevance in the East, he also proved unreliable when the going got tough in the postseason. Rubbing salt on the wound, he couldn't stay healthy at the same time. When it was all said and done, Ingram averaged 12 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists while shooting 32.8% from the field and 38.5% from three before his Game 5 injury knocked him out.
With Utah aiming to return to the postseason next season, Ingram's lackluster numbers show that his passing on the chance to join the team was for the best. To be fair, the Jazz have a couple of players who have yet to even sniff the playoffs, but they are more than happy to cross that bridge when they come to it.
This could have been their cross to bear had they thrown caution to the wind and acquired Ingram despite his objections, but in hindsight, it's clear they avoided a potential disaster. Especially now that the Raptors have some tough decisions to make.
Raptors dangling Ingram only makes the Jazz look smarter
Because Ingram didn't do much for Toronto in these playoffs, they could be in the market for a potential upgrade, per Sportsnet's Michael Grange, writing, "maybe (Toronto) would consider using Ingram’s contract if they could somehow find an upgrade — which is no guarantee given he led the Raptors in scoring this past season."
Props to the Raptors for not doubling down on Ingram after the series he just had against a team that, all due respect, doesn't really look like a contender. Toronto definitely has something with Scottie Barnes, but building a contender requires more than just a franchise cornerstone. That means there's no time to waste, which means someone like Ingram probably shouldn't be on the team.
But whether they will find a taker for Ingram, let alone an upgrade, remains very much to be seen. To think that the Jazz may have had to deal with something like this (and potentially at the cost of Jaren Jackson Jr.) should make them feel very fortunate for not pulling the trigger.
Nothing against Ingram. It's cool to see someone like him finally have a healthy season and actually contribute to a playoff team, but this season simultaneously proved the Jazz avoided something that could have set the franchise back long-term.
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