Brandon Ingram’s path to the Clippers is looking steadier by the day, even with all the noise still swirling around the Kawhi Leonard trade and the bigger questions hanging over Los Angeles.
The Leonard situation has kept the spotlight glued to Steve Ballmer, Lawrence Frank and the Clippers’ draft-pick penalties, but there are still moving parts on the Toronto side that matter just as much. Gradey Dick and Brandon Ingram have both been part of the background conversation, and Ingram in particular remains a major piece of the deal.
There has also been speculation that Ingram could be flipped again, with former Raptors boss Masai Ujiri and his Dallas Mavericks mentioned as a possible destination. That possibility hasn’t disappeared entirely. But a recent Bleacher Report livestream featuring NBA insider Jake Fischer pointed in a different direction.
Fischer said Ingram has reportedly been “at the Clippers facility working out every day,” a setup that tracks with Kawhi Leonard’s own approach this summer, as if he’s already part of Toronto even without official clearance. Fischer also said that while he has brought up Ingram’s “re-trade value” before, there’s no sign right now that the Clippers are pushing to move the two-time NBA All-Star again. If that changes, Fischer suggested it could happen “somewhere this season or further down the line.”
That kind of uncertainty is never a great place for a player to live. Being discussed constantly as a possible trade chip has to wear on a player’s confidence and standing around the league.
And this entire deal has already created a strange feeling for everyone involved, from the players to the fan bases watching it unfold. That’s especially true for Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick, whose security in Los Angeles has already been a talking point.
Still, with the 2026-27 NBA season less than a month away, the latest read is fairly simple: Brandon Ingram appears set to be a Clipper when tip-off arrives.
In Other News...
Clippers Still Havent Finalized The Kawhi Leonard Blockbuster
The NBAs investigation into the Clippers cleared one major hurdle for Toronto by fining Kawhi Leonard without imposing a suspension, which removed the league-level obstacle to a deal. Even so, the transaction has not moved from agreement to reality, with the final paperwork tied up while the Clippers sort through the aftermath of their front office upheaval and wait for the right people to sign off.
For the Raptors, the key point is that the trade still appears headed toward completion as originally constructed, even if the process has taken longer than expected. There has been some chatter about whether the terms could be revisited before everything is finalized, but the prevailing expectation remains that Toronto will land Leonard on the package that was initially worked out. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors May Have Finally Nailed A Pick That Changes Everything
The Raptors have spent enough time dealing with the mixed results of contract extensions and draft swings to know how much a clean hit can matter. Collin Murray-Boyles gave them one last season, and the early read around the league is that Toronto may have finally landed a first-rounder who looks built to matter for more than just one phase of the rebuild. His arrival has given the front office something it can actually build around, which is not something the Raptors have been able to say often enough in recent years.
Murray-Boyles also did more than simply look promising in a vacuum. He earned All-Rookie honors and held up well during the playoffs even as injuries thinned out the roster around him, which only sharpened the attention on what comes next. For Toronto, his development has quickly become one of the defining storylines of the coming season, because if he keeps moving forward, this pick could end up changing the way the franchise is judged. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Season May Hinge On 3 Roles Changing Fast
The Raptors are heading toward the 2026-27 season with a core that should look familiar, but the bigger storyline is how a few key pieces may be asked to work differently. Scottie Barnes is still projected to be the kind of do-it-all force Toronto builds around, only the burden on his offense is expected to ease as the roster around him changes, while rookie Murray-Boyles and second-year guard Walter are both positioned to become more important in specific lineup spots.
Walters growth may be especially important because Toronto needs answers on the wing and in the backcourt, where role clarity can make the difference between a balanced rotation and a shaky one. The expectation is that his shooting and backup guard responsibilities will expand, and Murray-Boyles will be counted on for more as well, but how quickly those changes happen could shape how smoothly the Raptors navigate the season. [Read more 🡒]