Brandon Ingram Receives Reassuring Injury Update From Ty Lue

Forward Brandon Ingram still does not have a return date, but the update on his right heel that came out on Tuesday was a good one for fans who have been waiting on him since the trade.

He has not played in a game since April 29, when he got hurt 11 minutes into Game 5 of Toronto's first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he missed the final two games of a series the Raptors went on to lose.

He had surgery on the heel on May 8, and doctors found and fixed a partially torn Achilles tendon during that same procedure.

Ingram came to the Los Angeles Clippers in the trade that sent forward Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors, a deal the league approved on September 14 after holding it up for months during its salary cap circumvention investigation.

Los Angeles also got guard Gradey Dick and a group of draft picks once the trade was finally completed.

Head coach Tyronn Lue said on Tuesday that Ingram is still not close to a return but has been ramping up his activity at practice, according to ClutchPoints reporter Tomer Azarly.

He sounded pleased with the progress when he said, "He's been increasing, he's been ramping up. He's doing a lot more, so just seeing him on the floor, that's a good sign. It's going to still take some time, it's going to be a while, but just seeing him on the floor being able to do certain things has been good to see."

Interim president of basketball operations Trent Redden had already told reporters at media day that Ingram would not be ready for the start of the season and would be reevaluated at that point, so Lue's words fit the same timeline.

ESPN's Anthony Slater also reported that the team knew about the Achilles before the trade went through, and I believe the front office planned for a slow start from him all along.

Ingram made the All-Star team in Toronto last season and averaged 21.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 77 games while shooting 38.2 percent from three.

Nobody on this roster can make up for that much scoring alone, so guard Darius Garland and rookie guard Keaton Wagler, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2026 draft, will have to carry more of the offense.

Guard Max Strus also has a partially torn plantar fascia in his right foot, and center Yanic Konan Niederhauser will miss opening night as well, so the rotation will look thin for a while.

The Clippers wrap up the preseason at home against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night, and their regular season starts a full week later with a home game against the Sacramento Kings on October 21.

My read on Lue's words is that Ingram will miss a good chunk of the early schedule, and I have no problem with that at all.

The Clippers gave up Leonard to get him, so I would let him take every week the heel needs instead of pushing him back to help a short-handed group in late October.