Brandon Ingram has a lot of upside, but can he replace Kawhi Leonard?
The Los Angeles Clippers are still waiting on their trade of Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors for Brandon Ingram, Grady Dick and draft picks and a pick swap, but the deal will presumably still go through once the NBA's investigation into the Clippers and Leonard concludes, and assuming that the deal does go through unchanged, the Clippers will then have to work with their new players to try and fill the void left by Leonard.
That task will fall firmly on Ingram's shoulders. Looking at their profiles as players, both Ingram and Leonard fill similar roles as wings with size and scoring versatility, but the way the level at which they're able to perform does vary.
LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) dribbles against New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Stephen Lew-USA TODAY SportsWhat Leonard Added
Leonard, after being held back by injuries for so many seasons as a Clipper, finally showed the league exactly what he was still capable of during last season with health in his side. He had a resurgence as a player, averaging 27.9 points, 6,.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game, some of the best numbers of his career, earning MVP votes in the process for the first time in six seasons.
His talents as a scorer were made the most obvious again last season, but pairing that scoring ability with his talents as a perimeter defender are what made him one of the most threatening players in the league and are what restored so much value in him as a player.
New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) holds on to a rebound in front of Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY SportsIngram, while he was an All-Star last season, isn't able to match up to the level of Leonard as a scorer, averaging 21.5 points, and is less well-rounded as a player with 5.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists, but his production still isn't anything to be taken lightly.
Can Ingram Match Up?
Ingram doesn't have the same X-factor defensively as Leonard and ultimately he is a downgrade when it comes to overall offensive production, but he's still a viable option for the Clippers to have at small forward.
Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (3) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade (32) during the first half of game three of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. John E. Sokolowski-Imagn ImagesIt's also worth mentioning that Ingram will be looked at as offensive leader for the Clippers in a way that he wasn't with the Raptors. With how young the Clippers as a whole will be next season, Ingram will be a crucial veteran presence and looked at as a primary offensive leader that the rest of the team can base their game around.
That extra usage will certainly help Ingram's individual production and even if he won't be the same level of player that Leonard was last season, there are certainly worse wings that the Clippers could have turned to.
