The Los Angeles Clippers acquired Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and draft capital from the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Kawhi Leonard this offseason. 

Naturally, Ingram — who is a prolific scorer at the NBA level — has been the biggest talking point of the transaction from a Clippers standpoint. He, along with Darius Garland, will be responsible for most of the heavy lifting as the franchise looks to get back on track following the salary cap circumvention scandal.

However, before Ingram steps onto the hardwood in a Clippers uniform, he has already been dealt a setback.

Ingram has been dealing with a partial Achilles tendon tear, which will keep him out at the start of the 2026-27 season. It was initially thought that the injury was a recent development, hence the lack of reporting on it. 

But it has since been cleared up that despite only announcing it during media day, the Clippers were fully aware of Ingram's circumstances before proceeding with the trade.

"We didn't know [about it], but the Clippers did," ESPN's Anthony Slater reports. "This is a surgery [Ingram] had in May. That's when this was discovered and repaired."

The timetable for Ingram's return to action is unclear at this time. The Clippers have been vague about it, stating that he will be out for the opening portion of the regular season. 

However, considering Ingram's age and fairly extensive injury history, it is likely that he won't be rushed back. 

Ingram underwent heel surgery in May after an issue with it saw him miss the last two games of the Raptors' playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was during that procedure that the partial Achilles tear was found. 

What we do know is that recovery from a partial tear takes significantly less time than a full tear. But because two different parts of a delicate section of the foot were operated on, it might be safe to assume that precautions will be taken.

Slater, who is covering the Clippers' training camp in Hawaii, says that Ingram was on the court for about 45 minutes to an hour on Wednesday, prior to the start of practice. He partook in some light shooting, defensive slides, and half-speed work. 

So, while we likely won't know when Ingram's Clipper debut will come for a while, it is generally a positive sign that he is mobile and making progress around four months after surgery.

Once available, Ingram has the tools to become a key cog in the Clippers' rebuild. 

He played 77 games for Toronto last year — the second most in his 10-year career — averaging 21.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 33.8 minutes per game. He shot 47.7 percent from the field and 38.2 percent from three. 

The shooting splits were on par with Ingram's career. He does his best work in the midrange but has stretched his game to the outside enough that his three-pointer is reliable and must be respected. 

Ingram is also an underrated playmaker. Last season was his first since 2020-21 in which he averaged shy of five assists per game. 

His injury record does bring some risk. Going into Year 11, he has played 70+ games twice and 60+ thrice. However, now at 29 years old, Ingram is in his physical prime, and the Clippers will be hoping that his best is still ahead.