Brandon Ingram 'Pain-Free,' Cleared for Contact amid Injury Recovery, Says Raptors HC

Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram is "pain free" and cleared for contact amid his recovery from the left ankle injury that limited him to 18 games last season, head coach Darko Rajaković told reporters on Thursday.

"He's pain free, he's moving well, he got stronger," Rajaković said, per Libaan Osman of the Toronto Star. "He's in a really, really great spot. As of today, he's cleared to play full-court, to be part of any runs... everything that you do during summer, he's cleared for all of that."

Ingram, who suffered the ankle injury in December, has yet to make his Raptors debut following his February trade from the New Orleans Pelicans.

He averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists through 18 games before he was sidelined while playing for the Pelicans in early December.

The Raptors acquired him while injured and signed him to a three-year, $120 million extension five days later.

Ingram remained sidelined for the next few months. Rajaković told reporters with two games remaining in the campaign that Ingram would miss the remainder of the season after receiving a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection in his left ankle.

PRP injections can "potentially speed up the healing process" in tendon or muscle injuries like knee sprains, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Rajaković told reporters at the time that team hoped the injection would "give him time to really rehab and rest well and to be ready for our summer program."

The head coach's latest update indicates that Ingram remains on track to participate in training camp ahead of his Raptors debut next season.

If healthy, Ingram will be slated to potentially start alongside Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poetl as the Raptors look to climb back into playoff contention for the first time in four seasons.