Brandon Ingram arrived from Toronto on September 14, the centerpiece of the trade that sent Kawhi Leonard the other way, and camp ended with him diagnosed on September 28 with a partial tear of the Achilles that will keep him out past the October 21 opener, with an estimated return of November 1. Last season he logged 77 games at 21.5 points on 57.3 percent true shooting and a 26.4 percent usage rate, the exact kind of efficient, high-volume scoring the Clippers are waiting on.
He is the centerpiece of the September trade.
Ingram came to Los Angeles on September 14, when the Clippers sent out Leonard for Ingram, Gradey Dick and five draft picks. At 29, with ten years of experience, he is now the forward this roster is built to run through, alongside Garland, Hachimura and Lopez.
His last full season was busy and efficient.
Ingram played 77 games at 33.8 minutes, averaging 21.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists, shooting 47.7 percent from the field, 38.2 percent on 4.6 three-point attempts a game and 82.0 percent at the line. His true shooting sat at 57.3 percent on a 26.4 percent usage rate, with a 114.6 offensive rating against a 113.7 defensive mark. His assist rate, 16.9 percent, and rebound rate, 8.3 percent, mark him as a scorer first.
He has yet to play a game for this team.
Ingram is out with an Achilles and leg issue, diagnosed September 28 as a partial tear, with an estimated return of November 1, after the Kings open the regular season October 21. The Clippers beat the Warriors 104-101 in the preseason opener October 4 without him on the floor.
His contract puts a deadline on the wait.
He is owed $40.0M this season, the second-largest figure on the books behind only Darius Garland's $42.2M, with a $41.9M player option for 2027-28 riding on how healthy and productive he looks once back. The Clippers need him to return at the same usage and efficiency he carried last season, not a slow build, with the regular season already on the calendar.
Is Brandon Ingram playing for the Clippers this season?
Not yet. He is out with a partial Achilles tear, with an estimated return of November 1.
How did Brandon Ingram join the Clippers?
He arrived September 14 in the trade that sent Kawhi Leonard to Toronto, along with Gradey Dick and five draft picks.
More from The Inglewood Report
all Clippers news →
Around the beat · Mon, Oct 5Around the Beat: Wagler's Flash, Beal's Clock, and a Draft Memory
Morning · Mon, Oct 5Beal, Sanders and Strus All Target the Same Return Date
Morning · Tue, Oct 6Strus's Diagnosis Breaks the Shared Return Timeline
Postgame · Sun, Oct 4Clippers Survive Short-Handed Opener, 104-101