The Raptors are giving Brandon Ingram a $120 million extension, but do they have a plan?

[ad_1]

Right on the heels of trading for Brandon Ingram before the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline, the Toronto Raptors have extended the contract of the 6-foot-8 wing. The new deal is worth $120 million over the next three seasons, meaning Ingram will average $40 million per season, with the last year being a player option.

While an extension was always logical, given that Toronto relinquished assets to get him, the amount here seems aggressive. There’s a reason Ingram was available to begin with, and a big part of that is his history of being a reluctant 3-point shooter, and more of a midrange assassin, which in today’s NBA isn’t necessarily what teams need.

While Ingram has increased his 3-point rate this season, his free-throw rate has almost been cut in half, due to his continued reliance on the midrange shot. Overall, 38.4% of his offense is made up of attempts between 10 feet and the 3-point line, with his at-rim shot rate an all-time low at just 11.7% of his offense.

This isn’t to say Ingram is a bad player. In fact, he’s quite potent in several areas. But he continues to be his own worst enemy, in large part due to his shot profile, which leaves a lot to be desired, especially when you consider the fact that his ball-handling ability for his size and position is significantly above average.

Essentially, Ingram isn’t someone who gets the most out of his talent, and that makes him an odd fit on a team that already has two forwards in place (Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett), neither of whom are seamless long-range shooters themselves.

With the follow-up decision to extend him to a contract that seems unnecessarily rich, you have to wonder what Toronto’s plan is here.

If the franchise is looking at Ingram as a real, long-term piece — and his contract extension appears to be a reflection of how the Raptors view him — that’s problematic moving forward.

Brandon Ingram spent the past six years in New Orleans. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)

If, instead, the Raptors extended him in the hopes of rehabbing his value going into the summer, and then re-aligning their roster this offseason by using him as a trade chip, that…

[ad_2]
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/the-raptors-are-giving-brandon-ingram-a-120-million-extension-but-do-they-have-a-plan-212600711.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2025-02-11 21:26:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.