Toronto Raptors sign Brandon Ingram to massive three-year contract extension

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That didn’t take long.

Less than a week after acquiring Brandon Ingram from the New Orleans Pelicans, the Raptors and the veteran wing agreed on a three-year, $120-million US contract, ESPN first reported Tuesday afternoon.

The deal includes a player option for the final season, meaning if Ingram returns to all-star form and can stay healthy, he will have a chance at another payday before his 30th birthday.

For the Raptors, it’s a reasonable bet on the most talented scorer on the roster meshing with franchise player Scottie Barnes.

Toronto dealt Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, a first-round pick in 2026 from the Indiana Pacers and a second-round pick to New Orleans for Ingram, who averaged 23 points per game in five and a half seasons in New Orleans.

Ingram was the No. 2 pick of the 2016 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers.

He has not played since Dec. 7 due to an ankle sprain, but has joined the Raptors and was getting up shots before the team’s game Sunday in Houston.

Toronto plans to have him in the lineup for at least some of the remaining games post-all-star break. Ingram will be introduced to the Toronto media before Wednesday’s game against Cleveland.

Raptors general manager Bobby Webster said when the trade was made that the team believes Ingram is just entering his prime and that the franchise had been high on him for years.

“Brandon is a player we followed for a long time. Obviously, he was a highly touted amateur player. Attended Duke University, number two pick. All the accolades, you know, we think a fresh start in Toronto would really be a spark in his career,” Webster said.

The Raptors believe Ingram, a silky smooth scorer who can make tough shots (and often seeks them out), can get even more efficient in coach Darko Rajakovic’s offence and that he and Barnes will benefit from playing together.

“He’s a very talented offensive player and I think the skill level, the shooting, the shot-making, complements Scottie really well. And so we’re excited to see them play together,” Webster said. “I think you’ve seen Scottie grow, too, as a playmaker, and so this may be, as Scottie matures. The age gap is four years, so I feel like that’s a really good pairing.”

Barnes signed the richest contract in franchise history — five years for just over $224 million — starting point guard Immanuel Quickley signed for five years and $162.5 million and Ingram will slot in between them in terms of annual salary, with the second-largest annual mark in franchise history.

Previously, Pascal Siakam had signed for four years and $137 million in 2019, Kyle Lowry was at three years for $100 million in 2017, DeMar DeRozan five years for $145 million in 2016.

Even though the salary cap has gone up and will continue to rise, juggling Barnes, Ingram, Quickley, RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl, plus a lottery pick this summer and the rest of the roster will be a challenge for the Raptors front office — if not for next season, but certainly for the one following, when Poeltl will be up for a new contract and Barrett will be a year away himself.

The Ingram contract will rise annually, starting at $38.1 million, jumping to $40 million and then to $41.9 million if Ingram opts into the third year, per Hoopshype’s Michael Scotto.

Regardless, the extension was expected to be a fait accompli ever since Webster mentioned the two sides had already begun talking and he believed they had an understanding of where each would go.

Ingram could have earned as much as $144 million over the three-year extension and reportedly also gave back a couple million from the “trade kicker” he had under his previous contract with New Orleans when he was traded to Toronto. Clearly both sides are excited about the new start and saw this extension as a fair compromise.

There are more risks for the Raptors than for Ingram, but it’s a defensible play, considering Ingram’s talent level and the challenge of bringing someone of his caliber north of the border.