The hope is that a healthy Ingram helps improve the Raptors’ tepid half-court offence, and the backline of Barnes and Poeltl and can make up for some defensive shortcomings on the perimeter. If Ingram plays his best basketball, the cost of the acquisition will seem reasonable.

The Raptors got involved in the trade deadline action by acquiring one-time All-Star Brandon Ingram from the Pelicans. Once the deal's terms are finalized, the next order of business is getting Ingram in a Raptors uniform and onto the floor next to his new teammates.

The newly-acquired Raptors forward is due for a new extension this upcoming NBA offseason. Ingram is playing out the last year of his five-year, $158 million deal that he previously signed with the Pelicans. The failure to reach an extension with New Orleans was one of the biggest reasons rumored to have led to his departure from the franchise.