Through no fault of Brandon Ingram, he had to wait.
The Los Angeles Clippers traded away Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors this offseason, and Ingram was one of the pieces that came back to L.A.
Except the deal didn’t go through right away. The off-court saga involving Leonard and impermissible payments dragged on, and it meant no one was quite sure whether the trade would actually be approved by the league in the end.
It created the odd possibility that Ingram might have to return to the team that traded him away.
In the end, though, Ingram was good to go — the Clippers brought him aboard, Leonard went to Toronto and both sides will now move forward.
Well, sort of. The Clippers aren’t really moving anywhere with Ingram at the moment.
The Clippers begin their season on Wednesday night against the Sacramento Kings.
All that Ingram will be doing is watching.
Why Isn’t Brandon Ingram Playing Tonight?
Ingram isn’t playing on Wednesday night as the Clippers open their season because he’s injured.
The forward underwent surgery on his right heel in May. It’s the recovery from that which is keeping Ingram out of action.
When is Brandon Ingram Coming Back?
There isn’t yet an official timetable on Ingram’s return.
Heel injuries and surgeries aren’t as common as some others, and so there isn’t as much precedent to go on.
In the NFL, Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce had surgery on his heel in the offseason, made it back in time for Week 1, but then re-injured the same heel in Week 2 and had to go on injured reserve.
While it’s far from the same sport, and it’s hard to know how similar the injuries are, it is a recent example of the heel recovery not being straightforward, either.
Other Clippers Injuries
The worst part of the Clippers missing Ingram due to injury is that he’s not the only guy who is out.
Bradley Beal is missing opening night due to right knee injury management.
Jordan Miller is out because he had surgery on his left rotator cuff.
Yanic Konan Niederhauser is sitting out after right lisfranc surgery.
And new acquisition Max Strus has a partial tear of his right plantar fascia and is being held out of the opener.
The likes of Darius Garland and Keaton Wagler are gonna have a ton of work to do on the perimeter to get the ball in the basket.
Why Isn’t Brandon Ingram Playing Tonight? When Clippers Star Might Return After Trade