The Clippers have been handed a sobering update on Brandon Ingram, who is recovering from a partially torn Achilles, and it leaves his availability in question as LA tries to get off to a strong start.
But the injury news also shines a light on something the Clippers now know they’re getting in Ingram: a player who keeps showing up, even when the body is betraying him. His partially torn Achilles wasn’t discovered until he was due to undergo surgery on his heel, which means the two-time All-Star was playing through major pain during the Toronto Raptors’ first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Toronto lost that series, and Ingram didn’t play up to his usual level, but the fact that he pushed through two serious injuries at once says plenty about his makeup. It’s the kind of toughness that stands out.
That’s part of why the Clippers had so many reasons to like the idea of adding him in the first place. Ingram brings three-level scoring, playmaking, rebounding, and perimeter defense. He also has two All-Star selections on his resume, including one from last season, when he averaged 21.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in a career-high 77 games while shooting 47.7% from the field and 38.2% from three.
Beyond what he can do on the floor, the Clippers also gain a player who can help in the background with development, chemistry building, and leadership. More than anything, they know they’re getting a star with a playoff-contending mindset, and in a league where plenty of high-usage players don’t fight through discomfort, that matters.
In Other News...
Bradley Beal Made One Clippers Bet Fans Need To See
Bradley Beal is sticking with the Clippers, and in a league where players often chase the cleanest fresh start, that decision says plenty about where his head is right now. After a season limited to just six games, Beal settled on a two-year deal that keeps him in Los Angeles and gives him a chance to reset without changing uniforms again.
The choice came with other options on the table, but Beal opted for continuity and health over another relocation, a practical move for a player who has spent recent seasons battling availability. For the Clippers, it adds another layer to a roster that has to balance talent with durability, and for Beal it makes this next stretch less about proving he can still score and more about proving he can stay on the floor long enough to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Have One Roster Flaw That Could Test Ingrams Optimism
Brandon Ingrams upbeat view of the Clippers at media day fit the mood around a team that believes it can matter this season, but the roster still has one obvious soft spot as camp settles in. The talent is there to score and defend, yet the groups biggest concern sits in the frontcourt, where the team does not project to have a true difference-maker on the glass.
For a Clippers team that wants to play with purpose in a crowded Western Conference, that kind of weakness can become a nightly problem, especially if the first unit cannot control possessions. It is the sort of issue that tends to linger until the front office addresses it, and if Los Angeles decides the answer has to come through a trade, the search will likely be for a big man who can clean up missed shots and stabilize the middle. [Read more 🡒]
Kawhi Leonard Detail Deepens Clippers Cap Scandal Even Further
Pablo Torres reporting has added another layer to the Clippers salary cap mess, tying Kawhi Leonard to a payment from Boingo Wireless in September 2022 for an appearance at Camp Pendleton. The detail lands in the middle of a broader investigation that has already put the franchise under a harsh spotlight for how it handled Leonards contract situation and the mechanisms around it.
The NBAs inquiry found the Clippers violated salary cap rules, leading to a one-year suspension for owner Steve Ballmer, a $30 million fine and the loss of five future first-round draft picks. Leonard was fined $700,000 and later traded to the Toronto Raptors, but the latest reporting keeps the focus on how deep the circumvention questions go and how much more there may still be to untangle. [Read more 🡒]