Report: Brandon Ingram's Injury History 'Cooled' Trade Interest at 2025 NBA Deadline

Some suitors were concerned with Brandon Ingram's injury history leading up to the NBA trade deadline, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer.

Fischer reported Wednesday that factor "inevitably cooled several teams' eagerness" to acquire the veteran forward.

Ingram has been out of action since Dec. 7 because of an ankle sprain. His debut for the Toronto Raptors will have to wait for at least another game because he was ruled out for Wednesday's contest with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Durability has long been a problem for the 27-year-old, who has logged 70-plus appearances just once since entering the NBA in 2016.

That didn’t stop the Raptors from not only trading for Ingram but also handing him a three-year extension worth $120 million.

General manager Bobby Webster said the 2019-20 All-Star is “entering his prime” and “by no means is he a finished product." He also tried to allay any fears about Ingram’s health.

“We feel like we have the best medical staff in the league,” he told reporters. “I know there's been some concern about the injuries.”

The Ingram trade is a big gamble by Toronto on two fronts.

The size of the extension speaks for itself, and the decision to pursue the 6’8” forward in the first place indicates a bullish short-term outlook from the front office. The Raptors are projected to have the ninth-highest payroll in the NBA for 2025-26.

Despite the fact it's likely to miss the playoffs for the third straight year, this isn't a franchise that's rebuilding. It’s expecting Ingram to both stay healthy and play at a high enough level to make a top-six challenge in the Eastern Conference realistic.

Should Ingram’s injury record fail to improve, it will have major consequences for Toronto.